Study suggests smoking and high blood pressure linked to cognitive decline

These include smoking and high blood pressure, which may be associated with the accelerated decline of memory, learning, attention and reasoning in older adults.

The study of more than 8,000 adults was published today (Monday 26 November) in the journal Age and Ageing. It found that participants over the age of 50 who smoked, had high blood pressure or were most at risk of suffering a stroke, performed more poorly on a range of cognitive tasks designed to test memory recall, verbal fluency, attention and other cognitive outcomes.

Alzheimer's Society comment:

'We all know smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and a high BMI is bad for our heart. This research adds to the huge amount of evidence that also suggests they can be bad for our head too.

'One in three people over 65 will develop dementia but there are things people can do to reduce their risk. Eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked and not smoking can all make a difference.'

Jessica Smith
Research Officer
Alzheimer’s Society

Research reference: Alex Dregan et al, Kings College London, Cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive decline in adults aged 50 and over: a population-based cohort study, the journal Age and Aging, Monday 26 November 2012

• Find out more about risk factors for developing dementia