Can Blood Pressure Medications Enhance Memory?

Certain blood pressure-lowering medications that can cross the blood-brain barrier had shown better memory recall in older adults taking the drug over time when compared to those taking other types of medicines to treat high blood pressure, as per a study published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension.

The pressure exerted by the blood vessels when the heart pumps blood around the body is called blood pressure. When the force exerted on the arteries is unusually higher, it is referred to as hypertension. The BP values higher than 130/80 mmHg (normal: 120/80 mmHg)are considered to be hypertension as per the guidelines issued by the American Heart Association (AHA), 2017.

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‘Older adults taking blood pressure-lowering medications known to cross the blood-brain barrier had better memory recall over time compared to those taking other types of medicines to treat high blood pressure. However further analysis is required to evaluate the racial/ethnic background-based differences in the study. ’

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It is estimated that nearly half of American adults have elevated blood pressure and this can affect the blood flow not only in the body but also to the brain. Hence cognitive decline and dementia remain as one of the risk factors for high blood pressure or hypertension in older adults.

Certain common types of blood-pressure-lowering medicines are ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), calcium channel blockers, and diuretics. Some of these can cross the blood-brain barrier, thereby impacting cognitive function. The cases of mild cognitive impairment had shown reduction by 19% when treated with blood-pressure-lowering medications in the large trial (SPRINT MIND).

Blood-Pressure Lowering Medications and Memory

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“Research has been mixed on which medicines have the most benefit to cognition. Studies of angiotensin II receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have suggested these medicines may confer the greatest benefit to long-term cognition, while other studies have shown the benefits of calcium channel blockers and diuretics on reducing dementia risk,” says study author Daniel A. Nation, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychological science in the Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders at the University of California, Irvine.

The study evaluated the effects of these medicines on several cognitive domains, including attention, language, verbal memory, learning, and recall. The team had gathered information from 14 studies of nearly 12,900 adults ages 50 years and older, done in the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, and Japan.

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It was found that the BP medicines that had crossed the blood-brain barrier revealed better memory recall for up to 3 years of follow-up compared to those taking medicines that do not cross the blood-brain barrier. Adults taking hypertension medications that did not cross the blood-brain barrier had better attention for up to 3 years of follow-up.

“These findings represent the most powerful evidence to-date linking brain-penetrant ACE-inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers to better memory. It suggests that people who are being treated for hypertension may be protected from cognitive decline if they medications that cross the blood-brain barrier,” says study co-author Jean K. Ho, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Irvine.

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However further analysis is required to evaluate the racial/ethnic background-based differences in the study.

Source-Medindia