News - Hypertension Week of October 19, 2003/ Vol. 2 No. 42

Study: Controlling Blood Pressure Key to Preventing Strokes in Very Old People

Controlling high blood pressure in the very old is the key to preventing strokes, but making those in this group aware of the importance of prevention may be difficult because many are also suffering from dementia.

As reported in the October 16 on-line issue of Stroke, German and Swedish researchers examined the prevalence and incidence of stroke and relation to dementia in a study of 494 subjects 85 years of age. The participants were followed for three years.

About one-fifth of the participants had suffered strokes by age 85. Being female and having higher systolic blood pressure were associated with a higher incidence of stroke in this age group.

The researchers also found that one-half of the participants in the study suffered from dementia, but found no link between the incidence of strokes and dementia.

The researchers concluded that it is important to use several sources of information to control blood pressure in this age group in an effort to prevent stroke because of the high prevalence of dementia at the age of 85.

Other sources: Stroke