High Blood Pressure May Affect Thinking

High blood pressure may be linked to a decline in thinking ability, a study suggests. The research used data from a long-term study of 20,000 people. All were over age 45. It found that for every 10-point increase in diastolic blood pressure, the odds of having problems with thinking increased 7%. Diastolic pressure is the bottom number in a blood pressure reading. It measures pressure while the heart relaxes between beats. The study appeared in the journal Neurology. HealthDay News wrote about it August 24.