Just a little high blood pressure could put you at risk of dementia...Middle-aged and female distinct
Dec 04, 2025
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This study is the first to demonstrate the clinical risk of the newly introduced 'rising blood pressure' section by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in 2024, strengthening the criteria for hypertension.
Professor Lee Min-woo of the Department of Neurology at Hallim University Sacred Heart Hospital, Professor Jung Young-hee, Professor Kim Jong-wook of Neurology at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital, Professor Han Kyung-do of the Department of Information Statistics Insurance Mathematics at Soongsil University, and Professor Chun Dae-young of Circulatory Medicine at Hallim University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital published the results of a large-scale study that analyzed the correlation between blood pressure and dementia using data from the National Health Insurance Corporation.
Although it is well known that hypertension is a major risk factor for dementia, there was no clear basis for the effect of the 'pre-hypertensive stage' section, which does not meet the criteria for diagnosing hypertension, but is higher than normal, on the onset of dementia.
With recent studies showing that even slightly higher blood pressure can affect cardiovascular risk, the European Heart Association revised the 2024 guidelines, newly defining the pre-hypertensive stage (systolic 120-139 mmHg or diastolic 70-89 mmHg) as 'rising blood pressure' and recommending blood pressure management.
Using data from the National Health Insurance Corporation, the research team followed about 2.8 million adults over the age of 40 who underwent medical checkups in 2009 and 2010 for an average of eight years to analyze the link between blood pressure status and dementia. According to the guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology in 2024, the subjects were classified into three groups: ▲ normal blood pressure (systolic less than 120 mmHg and diastolic less than 70 mmHg) ▲ raised blood pressure (systolic 120 to 139 mmHg or diastolic 70 to 89 mmHg) ▲ high blood pressure (systolic more than 140 mmHg and diastolic more than 90 mmHg or during diagnosis and drug treatment) and compared the incidence and risk of dementia.
Studies have shown an increased risk of developing dementia in both the elevated blood pressure group and the hypertension group compared to the normal blood pressure group. A total of 121,223 cases of dementia occurred during the follow-up period, of which 76.6% were Alzheimer's disease and 12.1% were vascular dementia. The overall risk of dementia in the elevated blood pressure group compared to the normal blood pressure group increased by 1.6%, and the overall risk of dementia was significantly increased by 2.9% in the hypertensive group.
In particular, the risk of 'vascular dementia' caused by cerebrovascular damage was remarkable. Compared to the normal blood pressure group, the elevated blood pressure group was 16% higher and the hypertension group was 37%, confirming that the higher the blood pressure, the higher the risk of developing vascular dementia in stages.
In the analysis by age group, the increased risk of dementia due to blood pressure was the most prominent among middle-aged people aged 40 to 64. In the middle-aged group, the elevated blood pressure group had an 8.5% higher risk of dementia than the normal blood pressure group, and the hypertension group was 33.8% higher.
Gender analysis showed that women had a more pronounced increased risk of dementia with elevated blood pressure than men. In women, a significant increase in the risk of dementia was observed in both elevated blood pressure and hypertension, but in men, there was a significant association only in the hypertension group.
Professor Lee Min-woo emphasized, "This study is meaningful in that the new concept of 'rising blood pressure' proposed by the European Heart Association has proven very effective in predicting the actual risk of dementia, especially the risk of vascular dementia.'"Active blood pressure management is needed to protect cerebrovascular health even before the systolic blood pressure exceeds 120mmHg or diastolic blood pressure exceeds 70mmHg."
Professor Lee continued, `In particular, middle-aged people and women should take it as an early warning signal to prevent dementia even if their blood pressure is a little high and take preemptive management such as lifestyle correction.'
The study was published in the latest issue of the world's leading journal of cardiovascular disease, titled 「Dementia Risk Across Blood Pressure Studies: a South Korean nationwide study」. The journal is an official journal of the European Heart Association and is considered one of the world's top three cardiovascular clinical journals along with the Journal of the American Heart Association (Circulation) and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
