People with hypertension may be able to reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease by acting early to lower their blood pressure, according to research presented at the 8th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders.

A study of almost 1,500 individuals aged 65 to 79 by Miia Kivipelto of the University of Kuopio in Finland found high blood pressure to be an independent risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

She reported that the risk of Alzheimer's disease related to high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol appeared to be greater than the risk related to the the gene variant ApoE, a genetic risk factor associated with an increased incidence of the disease.

A study of 1,560 elderly individuals with symptoms of memory impairment conducted by Oliver Hanon of Broca Hospital in Paris found a correlation between blood pressure and cognitive decline. Hypertensive patients made up 67 percent of the group with Alzheimer's disease compared to 56 percent of the group without dementia.

A study by Ingmar Skoog, of Goteborg University in Sweden evaluated the effect of the antihypertensive medication candesartan versus a placebo in 4,964 patients aged 70 to 89 with mild hypertension. Those taking the hypertension medication had a risk reduction of 23 percent for cognitive decline.

"A growing body of evidence suggests that a history of hypertension may be a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease," said Alzheimer's Association Vice President of Medical and Scientific Affairs William Thies. "This is an evolving story but vascular disease and dementia appear to be related."

Other sources: International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease