Study Demonstrates Effective Way to Slow Progression of Cerebrovascular Disease in Older Adults

A study presented at the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session found seniors with high blood pressure who took drugs to keep their 24-hour systolic blood pressure around 130 mm Hg for three years exhibited less accumulation of harmful brain lesions compared with those taking medications to maintain a systolic blood pressure around 145 mm Hg, reports News-Medical . However, lesion reduction did not lead to significant improvement in mobility and cognitive function, with researchers suggesting three years was too short a time for such benefits to manifest themselves. The study recruited 199 people, average age 81, who had hypertension, with average systolic blood pressure of about 150 mm Hg, along with evidence of cerebrovascular disease on an imaging scan. Half of the participants were randomly assigned to receive standard blood pressure control, while the other half were administered more intensive blood pressure control. "With the intensive 24-hour blood pressure treatment we reduced the accrual of this brain damage by 40 percent in a period of just three years," said University of Connecticut Professor William B. White. "That is highly clinically significant, and I think over a longer time period intensive reduction of the ambulatory blood pressure will have a substantial impact on function in older persons, as well."