Hypertension is a condition that millions of Americans of all ages face. Hypertension is another term to describe chronic high blood pressure. There are a number of health issues that hypertension can put someone at risk of, including heart attack, stroke, vision loss, kidney damage, and more.
Most people are pretty familiar with some of the symptoms of ongoing high blood pressure. But one of the symptoms that is often ignored is dementia or memory loss. Unfortunately, because it is not a widely known symptom, it is not something that people follow up with their health care providers with when symptoms begin. It’s not on people’s radars, so it’s very often not treated in a timely manner.
Additionally, dementia is something that is part of many other issues that seniors face, such as Alzheimer’s and lewy body dementia. It’s also seen as a common part of the aging process. Again, many people ignore early symptoms because of this.
A new study indicates that hypertension-induced dementia occurs because of how high blood pressure impacts immune cells that surround the brain. Chronic hypertension causes a reaction amongst these immune cells that triggers dementia like symptoms.
This research was conducted on mouse models and not humans. Researchers used high salt levels to create hypertension. They found that it created high levels of a chemical called IL-17. This chemical activated the immune cells in the brain and created macrophages which contributed to dementia. The team believes that the combination of IL-17 and macrophages creates conditions that prevent the brain’s cells from functioning in the way that they did prior to their introduction.
They also found that treatments to lower blood pressure had mixed results when it came to alleviating dementia symptoms. Sometimes it was effective, other times it wasn’t.
This new research was conducted and supported by the National Institutes of Health. They published their findings in the journal, Nature Neuroscience. Hopefully, the information can be of use to future researchers so that this form of dementia can be more effectively treated in those that are impacted. There’s a lot more research needed here, but this could be a good starting point when it comes to addressing the issue.
Dementia of any sort is difficult. When someone that you love has dementia, it’s not just the individual that’s impacted–it’s the whole family. Finding a routine or treatment plan that works for your unique set of circumstances is the key to success.
It’s also important to remember that symptoms and severity change over time. You may be able to easily handle a loved one’s symptoms in the home today, but that could change in the future. If so, professional senior care might be the right choice. There are many types of care out there, and some might be more helpful than others. If you have questions about care for yourself or a loved one, please feel free to give us a call to talk more. We’d be happy to get you pointed in the right direction during one of our free consultation sessions.
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