Study claims low blood pressure TRIPLES risk of Alzheimer’s,
Having low blood pressure could triple the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a major study suggests.
More than 520,000 Britons have Alzheimer’s – the most common form of dementia and the UK’s leading cause of death.
The disease is commonly associated with age – as over 65s are more likely to be diagnosed – but fresh research from Michigan Technological University suggests low blood pressure may also be a factor.
Officially known as hypotension, low blood pressure is generally defined as a reading below 90/60mmHg, although whether it is considered a medical problem often depends on symptoms.
Blood pressure is measured in millimetres of mercury, or mmHg, which reflects the pressure of blood against the artery walls.
By contrast, a clinic reading of 140/90mmHg or higher may indicate high blood pressure, or hypertension, although the diagnosis is usually confirmed using home or 24-hour monitoring.
While around a third of adults in the UK have high blood pressure – which can cause heart attacks and strokes – low blood pressure generally receives less attention. However, the new findings suggest it may also carry significant health risks.
The study, published in the Journal of American Heart Association, found that adults in the UK were three times as likely to develop Alzheimer’s if they had low blood pressure compared to those who did not. Meanwhile in the US, they were almost twice as likely.
Having low blood pressure could triple the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease , a major study suggests
Elisabeth Marsh, chair of the American Heart Association’s 2026 Scientific Statement Brain Health Across the Lifespan, said: ‘We’ve known for a long time that high blood pressure can have damaging long-term effects on the brain.
‘This study shows us that blood pressure can also become a problem when it is too low for long periods of time. The brain needs blood to get the oxygen and nutrients it needs to function properly.
‘While science is beginning to understand the mechanisms that lead to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline as people age, it’s not surprising that low blood pressure leads to dysfunction in the brain because the brain is not getting what it needs.’
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Across both datasets, people with high blood pressure were around 1.6 times more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease.
Those who had suffered a stroke also faced a 50 per cent higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s in the UK cohort and 85 per cent higher in the US group. Heart attacks, however, were not significantly associated with the disease.
Experts believe impaired blood flow to the brain may explain the link.
As reduced circulation limits the oxygen and nutrients reaching brain tissue, this may create conditions that encourage the build-up of amyloid beta and tau proteins, which are found in Alzheimer’s disease.
In the cohort from the UK, participants had an average age of 57, and 54 per cent of them were women. In the US the average age was 58 and 60 per cent were women. The team analysed the UK data from 2006, and the US from 2015.
Aili Toyli, lead author of the study and a student at Michigan Technological University, said the findings highlight ‘the importance of optimal cardiovascular health to possibly prevent Alzheimer’s disease’.
Toyli added: ‘Compared to hypertension, hypotension receives a lot less attention overall, which likely leads to less data and less research focus.
‘Detailed research is needed to understand the biological mechanisms that might be behind the links between Alzheimer’s and (cardiovascular disease).
‘Once we determine the specific pathway that connects them, we may be able to intervene and break the chain before Alzheimer’s develops.’
The findings come after the Daily Mail and Alzheimer’s Society partnered in a drive to beat dementia, which claims 76,000 lives each year.
The Defeating Dementia campaign aims to raise awareness of the disease, in an effort to increase early diagnosis, boost research and improve care.
