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Hypertension and dementia
Nagai M, Hoshide S, Kario K.. American journal of hypertension, 2009-11-19
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Although hypertension is well known as a cause of vascular dementia (VaD), recent findings highlight the role of hypertension in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) as well as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Recent studies have shown that disruption of diurnal blood pressure (BP) variation is closely associated with cognitive impairment via injury of the small cerebral arteries indicating that long-standing hypertension constitutes a risk of brain matter atrophy or white matter lesions (WMLs). In several clinical trials, BP-lowering with antihypertensive agents was suggested to reduce the risk of dementia or cognitive decline. This review paper focuses on the role of hypertension as a risk factor for cognitive impairment, and summarizes current knowledge on the relationships between ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) and cognitive impairment. Finally, an overview of the impact of antihypertensive therapy on dementia prevention is provided.
Key findings
- Recent studies have shown that disruption of diurnal blood pressure (BP) variation is closely associated with cognitive impairment via injury of the small cerebral arteries indicating that long-standing hypertension constitutes a risk of brain matter atrophy or white matter lesions (WMLs).
Why it matters
This review describes how long-standing hypertension and disrupted daily blood pressure patterns are linked to cognitive impairment and brain changes. It notes that some trials suggested blood pressure lowering may reduce dementia risk, but it does not establish that treating hypertension prevents Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 39/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (American journal of hypertension) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | American Journal of Hypertension: journal h-index 184 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2010 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 206 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 11.4 citations a year over 18 year(s) since 2010 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 8 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 37 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Kazuomi Kario: h-index 17 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Jichi Medical University: institution h-index 428 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 19927134) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 39 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Nagai, M., Hoshide, S., & Kario, K. (2010). Hypertension and dementia. American journal of hypertension. https://doi.org/10.1038/ajh.2009.212
Vancouver
Nagai M, Hoshide S, Kario K. Hypertension and dementia. American journal of hypertension. 2010. doi:10.1038/ajh.2009.212. PMID: 19927134.
BibTeX
@article{nagai2010-19927134,
author = {Nagai, M. and Hoshide, S. and Kario, K.},
title = {{Hypertension and dementia}},
journal = {American journal of hypertension},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1038/ajh.2009.212},
pmid = {19927134},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/ajh.2009.212}
}
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