Hypertension
Dementia Linked to High Blood Pressure From Years Earlier, Particularly in Women
High blood pressure may put women at greater risk for dementia later in life by increasing white matter abnormalities in the brain, report researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in a study published online in the Journal of Clinical Hypertension.
"Hypertension is very common in the U.S. and many other countries, and can lead to serious health problems; Proper control of blood pressure, which remains generally poor, may be very important to prevent dementia as women age." emphasized the researchers who conducted the study.
The study, part of the multi-site and long-term Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS), included 1,424 women 65 or older who had their blood pressure assessed annually and underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain.
Researchers assessed white matter lesions, which are associated with increased risks for dementia and stroke. White matter makes up 60 percent of the brain and contains nerve fibers responsible for communication among the brain's regions.
Women who, at the start of the study, were hypertensive, meaning a blood pressure of 140/90 or higher, had significantly more white matter lesions on their MRI scans eight years later than participants with normal blood pressure. Lesions were more common in the frontal lobe, the brain's emotional control center and home to personality, than in the occipital, parietal or temporal lobes.
"Women should be encouraged to control high blood pressure when they are young or in middle-age in order to prevent serious problems later on," said the doctors. "Prevention and control of elevated blood pressure and subsequent vascular disease in the brain may represent the best current preventive therapy for dementia."
Co-authors of the study include doctors from Health Partners Research Foundation, Minneapolis; Wake Forest University School of Medicine; University of Pennsylvania; Northwestern University; University of Florida; Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and the University of Iowa.
The research was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Hibiscus Tea May Reduce Blood Pressure, Especially In At-Risk People
Naturally-Rich in Antioxidants and Phytochemicals, a few cups of hibiscus tea a day may reduce blood pressure and offer cardiovascular benefits for people at risk of developing hypertension, reports a new study from Tufts University.
Three 240 mL servings a day of tea made with hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) were associated with a 7.2 mmHg reduction in systolic blood pressure and a 3.1 mmHg reduction in diastolic blood pressure, compared to 1.3 and 0.5 mmHg in the placebo group, according to findings published in The Journal of Nutrition.
Researchers from the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University report that this is the first placebo-controlled clinical trial to study if hibiscus tea, in an amount easily attained from the diet, may affect blood pressure.
"Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, estimated to account for 35 per cent of myocardial infarction and stroke, 49 per cent of heart failure, and 24 per cent of premature mortality," wrote the researchers,"The dietary change assessed in this study, i.e. regularly incorporating 3 servings/d of hibiscus tea into the diet, effectively reduces blood pressure in pre- and mildly-hypertensive adults.
"This strategy may be useful in preventing the progression to moderate or more severe hypertension, potentially reducing the subsequent risk of developing cardiovascular disease," they added.
The researchers recruited 65 adult with pre-hypertension and mild hypertension, and aged between 30 and 70, to participate in the randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Subjects were randomly assigned to consume either three servings of brewed hibiscus tea per day or a placebo drink for six weeks. At the end of the study people in the hibiscus tea group displayed an average reduction of 7.2 mmHg in their systolic blood pressure, compared to 1.3 mmHg in the placebo group. A slight but not significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure was also recorded in the hibiscus tea group.
The benefits of hibiscus tea appeared to be greater in people who had higher systolic blood pressure at the start of the study. Previous studies indicated that hibiscus may act by relaxing blood vessel. This beneficial action may be linked to calcium channels, or inhibition of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), preventing vasoconstriction.
There is also evidence in the scientific literature that hibiscus may act as a diuretic. Another possible explanantion for the apparent benefits is related to the anthocyanin content of Hibiscus sabdariffa.
"The specific attributes of H. sabdariffa to cardiovascular health, including its ability to lower BP and its potential hypocholesterolemic effects, are not well understood and further research in this area is warranted," added the researchers.
Source: Journal of Nutrition February 2010, Volume 140, Issue 2, Pages 298-303 "Hibiscus sabdariffa L. tea (tisane) lowers blood pressure in pre-hypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults"
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