High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, and Dementia: Why Checking Your Blood Pressure Could Protect Your Brain

I woke up one morning feeling a little off. I was dizzy and just didn’t feel like myself.

Like many people, I turned to Google.

My search for “Why did I wake up dizzy?” suggested dehydration or an inner ear problem. Living in the Nevada desert, dehydration seemed possible. I drink plenty of water, but maybe I had an ear infection.

Then I kept scrolling.

One popular question caught my attention: Can hypertension cause sudden dizziness?

The answer wasn’t very comforting.

“Dizziness and feeling slightly off balance are early warning signs of a stroke caused by high blood pressure.”

Well… that escalated quickly.

In my mind I had narrowed it down to two possibilities. Either I had an inner ear problem or I was about to have a stroke. I chose to believe it was my ear. But just in case, I dug an old blood pressure monitor out of the bathroom closet.

My reading was 120/87 with a pulse of 116.

Those numbers meant nothing to me, so I went right back to Google. According to several medical sources, my reading fell into Stage 1 hypertension because my diastolic pressure was elevated.

That got my attention.

My Wife Probably Saved Me

My wife asked why I was checking my blood pressure. Against my better judgement, I told her the truth. From that day forward, I became the household blood pressure patient. I now check my blood pressure twice a day and record every reading. I also scheduled an appointment with a local doctor. We had moved across the country last year, and I hadn’t seen a doctor in several years. It was probably time.

Locating a doctor, however, turned into its own adventure. Finding one who answers the phone, accepts new patients, and takes your insurance can raise your blood pressure all by itself.

Why High Blood Pressure Is Called the Silent Killer

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is known as The Silent Killer because it usually has no obvious symptoms.

You can feel perfectly healthy while elevated blood pressure quietly damages your arteries, heart, kidneys, eyes, and brain.

Over time, untreated hypertension can increase your risk of:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Heart failure
• Kidney disease
• Vision loss
• Dementia

Many people never know they have high blood pressure until serious damage has already occurred. That is why routine blood pressure checks are so important.

Checking Your Blood Pressure Is Easy

Fortunately, checking your blood pressure is simple.

Home blood pressure monitors are inexpensive, accurate, and easy to use. Most pharmacies and many retail stores also have blood pressure machines available.

I record my readings every day using an app on my iPhone. Some monitors even transfer readings automatically through Bluetooth. My plan is to keep a daily record of my blood pressure to give my doctor. I’m hoping this gives her much better information than a single reading taken during an office visit.

Google tells me that if I have normal blood pressure, checking once a year is sufficient. The Mayo Clinic website states those over 40 should have a blood pressure test every year. I suggest reading up on blood pressure and what it means and let your doctor tell you how often to get it checked. Blood pressure is much more than a number!

What Does High Blood Pressure Have to Do With Dementia?

Quite a bit.

Why am I writing about hypertension on a Dementia blog? High blood pressure, especially in midlife, significantly increases the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later in life.

Research consistently shows that people between 40 and 64 years old with persistent hypertension have a significantly higher risk of developing dementia, particularly vascular dementia, as they age.

High blood pressure damages the tiny blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Over many years, that damage can reduce blood flow, injure brain tissue, and contribute to memory loss and cognitive decline.

The encouraging news is that actively managing your blood pressure is one of the most effective, modifiable ways to protect your cognitive health. Managing your blood pressure today may help protect your brain tomorrow.

The SPRINT MIND Study

One of the most important studies linking blood pressure and brain health is the SPRINT MIND trial.

Researchers followed more than 9,300 adults with hypertension.

Participants who lowered their systolic blood pressure to less than 120 mm Hg experienced:

• 19% lower risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
• 15% lower risk of developing MCI or dementia combined

Although the study did not show a statistically significant reduction in dementia alone, it provided strong evidence that better blood pressure control can help preserve cognitive function and delay memory problems. For anyone interested in preventing dementia, that’s encouraging news.

Read here: Sprint for Discovery: New Dementia and Cardiovascular Findings

The Alzheimer’s Society UK Agrees

The Alzheimer’s Society in the United Kingdom puts it very simply.

Question: Does high blood pressure increase the risk of dementia?

Answer: Evidence shows that high blood pressure increases a person’s risk of developing dementia.

“Long-term research studies have demonstrated that people who had high blood pressure in mid-life (from 40-64 years of age) were more likely to develop dementia in later life, particularly vascular dementia.”

Read the entire article here: High blood pressure and the risk of dementia

The organization notes that long-term research consistently shows people with high blood pressure during midlife are more likely to develop dementia later in life, especially vascular dementia.

Sometimes the simplest answers are also the clearest.

Summary

I started one morning wondering why I felt dizzy. That simple Google search reminded me to check my blood pressure, schedule a doctor’s appointment, and begin monitoring my health more closely.

Whether my dizziness was caused by hypertension or something completely unrelated almost doesn’t matter anymore. The experience taught me something important.

High blood pressure rarely announces itself. It quietly damages the body for years before symptoms appear. Left untreated, hypertension increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and dementia.

The good news is that blood pressure is easy to monitor and, in many cases, can be improved through lifestyle changes, medication, or both. If you’re over 40, or if you haven’t checked your blood pressure in a while, consider making it part of your routine.

Protecting your blood pressure today could help protect both your heart and your brain for years to come.