Lowering Blood Pressure and Cognitive-Motor Training Lowers Risk of Dementia, Two Studies Find

​People with a top blood pressure reading of 120 were 19% less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than those whose top reading reached 140, according to study results presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference and reported by the Associated Press on July 25, 2018. The article suggests that blood pressure control is the first single step to have shown promise in preventing mental decline. Under current blood pressure guidelines, about half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure (top number of 130 or more), making blood pressure control more important than previously thought in preventing or delaying symptoms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. The study consisted of more than 9,300 people with high blood pressure who were split into two groups: the first given an average of two medications to get their top reading below 140 and the other given an average of three medications and aimed for 120. The average top pressure during the study was lowered to 135 in the first group and 121 in the second group.