Have YOU ever felt dizzy when you stand up? Why you could be more at risk of dementia…

October 11, 2016

Low blood pressure when standing up increases risk of dementia by 15%
The condition is known as orthostatic hypotension and triggers head rush
Experts believe decreased blood flow contributes to brain dysfunction

Stephen Matthews For Mailonline

Published:
13:00 EST, 11 October 2016

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Updated:
13:00 EST, 11 October 2016

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Have you ever experienced that dizzy feeling when you stand up too quickly?

Well not only does it throw us temporarily, it could have devastating implications as we grow older.

Scientists warn people who get dizzy when they stand up suddenly are at greater risk of dementia.

Low blood pressure when standing up – known as orthostatic hypotension – increases the risk of the debilitating condition by 15 per cent, a study found.

People who get dizzy when they stand up quickly are at higher risk of dementia, experts warn

The condition, which can trigger head rush, is known to cause transient cerebral hypoperfusion – reduced blood flow to the brain.

Decreased flow can contribute to brain dysfunction in elderly people, experts believe.

Researchers from Erasmus Medical Centre, the Netherlands, evaluated 6,200 people without dementia over a period of 24 years.

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The researchers followed the participants – with an average age of 68 – until 2014, tracking the occurrence of dementia.

Those with a drop of more than 20mmHg in their systolic blood pressure or 10 mmHg in their diastolic pressure within three minutes of standing from a resting position were classified as having orthostatic hypotension.

The condition was present in nearly one in five people and was responsible for a 15 per cent increase in all dementia types.

Low blood pressure when standing up – known as orthostatic hypotension – increases the risk of the debilitating condition by 15 per cent, a study found

Around one in five of the participants also developed a form of dementia after around 15 years.

The link was even higher for those who didn’t have an increase in heart rate alongside the drop in blood pressure with a 39 per cent increase.

While any difference in systolic blood pressure upon standing was associated with an eight per cent increased risk of dementia.

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Alzheimer’s disease could be stopped by gene therapy, scientists discovered.

Inserting a gene may prevent the formation of clumps of protein which are found in the brains of dementia sufferers, experts believe.

The plaques – built up of amyloid-beta peptide – are thought to trigger the death of brain cells.

But the PGC-1-alpha gene helped to prevent the lumps of protein and kept mice with a healthy brain, a study found.

Co-author Dr Arfan Ikram said: ‘One possible explanation for the findings is that brief episodes of hypoperfusion, elicited by sudden blood pressure drops, may lead to hypoxia – lack of oxygen – with detrimental effects on brain tissue.’

Dr Laura Phipps, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘This study highlights the important role of the blood supply, not just in contributing to vascular dementia, but potentially playing a role in other forms of dementia too.

‘While many studies have focused on the risks of high blood pressure, this study suggests that transient low blood pressure could also have a long term impact on the brain.

‘While the risks found in this study are reasonably small compared to other known risk factors for dementia, it adds to a growing and complex picture of how blood pressure changes throughout life can impact the brain.

‘There is mounting evidence to suggest that what’s good for the heart is good for the brain and maintaining good vascular health is one of the key things people can do to reduce their risk of dementia.’

The findings were published in the journal PLOS Medicine.