A study has found that combining hypertension medications with intensive lifestyle management can reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment by more than 15%. Amid a rapid global increase in dementia patients, this large-scale clinical trial confirmed that managing hypertension can help prevent dementia.
Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the First Hospital of Shenyang Medical University in China stated, "The clinical trial involving 34,000 patients with hypertension showed that intensive blood pressure control reduces the risk of dementia among patients," in the international journal 'Nature Medicine' on the 21st (local time).
The research team conducted the study on 34,000 patients aged 40 and older with hypertension in 236 regions of China, dividing them into two groups. The two groups underwent different hypertension treatments and were monitored over four years for changes in blood pressure and the occurrence of dementia and cognitive impairment.
The first group was prescribed an average of three medications used for hypertension treatment, including angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, diuretics, and calcium channel blockers. Along with this, they received intensive blood pressure management, including home blood pressure checks, weight loss, and reduced alcohol and salt intake. The other group received the same education but only took one medication for general management.
After 48 months, the researchers compared the blood pressure changes in the two groups. The group that received intensive blood pressure management showed an average decrease of 22.0 mmHg in systolic blood pressure and 9.3 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure. Among this group, 668 participants (4.59%) developed dementia, while the general management group had 734 participants (5.40%). The dementia risk for the intensive blood pressure management group was 15% lower than that of the general management group. The risk of cognitive impairment without dementia was also 16% lower.
Jiang He, a neuroscience professor at the University of Texas, who led the research, noted, "The results of this study show that intensive blood pressure reduction is effective in lowering the dementia risk in hypertensive patients," emphasizing the need to expand this hypertension treatment method globally to reduce the burden of dementia.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were 57 million dementia patients worldwide in 2021, and more than 10 million new patients develop each year.
Experts noted that while this study proves that hypertension treatment helps reduce dementia risk, further research is needed to clarify which specific treatment methods are effective.
James Leiper, a professor at the University of Glasgow, stated, "The results of this large-scale clinical trial provide good evidence supporting the hypothesis that hypertensive patients have a high risk of developing dementia," adding that if the trend of reduced dementia risk is verified to last longer than four years, there may be a need to expand the use of hypertension medications.
Richard Oakley, the research and innovation deputy director at the Alzheimer's Society in the UK, stated, "This research is the first large-scale clinical trial proving that treating hypertension through medications and lifestyle education can reduce the risk of dementia," and emphasized the need for additional studies to investigate the long-term effects of blood pressure control on populations outside of China.
Joanna Wardlaw, a professor at the University of Edinburgh, added, "To clarify the optimal blood pressure control levels and specific lifestyle changes for reducing dementia risk, longer follow-up periods and studies in various countries are necessary."
References
Nature Medicine (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-025-03616-8