Alzheimer's Disease Is Associated with a Low Prevalence of Hypertension

Background/Aim: Dementia is one of the most common health problems in the world. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. The relation between blood pressure (BP) and dementia has been the subject of numerous epidemiological studies, and midlife hypertension (HT) is a risk factor for AD. The association between BP and risk of dementia is lower in the older population. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the prevalence of HT and AD in elderly individuals. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 193 patients with AD and 1,860 patients with normal cognitive function were evaluated. Results: The prevalence of HT was lower in the AD group (60.6 vs. 70.5%; p = 0.005). In multivariate analysis, AD was found to be negatively correlated with HT (OR = 0.649; 95% CI 0.461-0.916). Conclusion: The prevalence of HT was lower in patients with AD compared to subjects without AD. Physicians who deal with AD patients must keep in mind that the need for antihypertensive medication may decline during the dementia process. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel