People Who Feel Dizzy When They Stand up May Have Higher Risk of Dementia
Those with systolic orthostatic hypotension were 40% more likely to develop dementia than those who did not suffer from the condition
Source | neurosciencenews.com
Summary: People who experience dizziness when standing face an increased risk of developing dementia, a new study reports. The increased risk appears to only apply to those who experience a drop in their systolic blood pressure. Those with systolic orthostatic hypotension were 40% more likely to develop dementia than those who did not suffer from the condition.
Source: AAN
Some people who feel dizzy or lightheaded when they stand up may have an increased risk of developing dementia years later, according to a new study published in Neurology. The condition, called orthostatic hypotension, occurs when people experience a sudden drop in blood pressure when they stand up.
The study found the link with dementia only in people who have a drop in their systolic blood pressure, not in people with only a drop in their diastolic blood pressure or their blood pressure overall.
Systolic is the first, or top, number in a blood pressure reading and systolic orthostatic hypotension was defined as a drop of at least 15 mmHg after standing from a sitting position.
“People’s blood pressure when they move from sitting to standing should be monitored,” said study author Laure Rouch, Pharm.D., Ph.D., of the University of California, San Francisco. “It’s possible that controlling these blood pressure drops could be a promising way to help preserve people’s thinking and memory skills as they age.”
