Hypertension in the Elderly May Be Associated with Progressive Brain Atrophy

Dr. Lin reports no financial relationships relevant to this field of study. This article originally appeared in the October 2013 issue of Neurology Alert.

Source: Jochemsen HM, et al. Blood pressure and progression of brain atrophy: The SMART-MR study. JAMA Neurol 2013;70:1046-1053.

Hypertension is well established as a risk factor for vascular brain lesions. There is also emerging evidence that abnormal blood pressure may be a risk factor for neurodegeneration. Several cross-sectional studies have shown that high blood pressure in midlife is associated with more brain atrophy later in life, whereas in late life, low blood pressure is associated with more brain atrophy. However, there is little prospective evidence relating blood pressure and brain atrophy.

The SMART-MR (Secondary Manifestations of ARTerial disease-Magnetic Resonance) study in the Netherlands is a prospective, cohort study of MRI...