New York City [US], November 16 (ANI): Hypertension may impair the brain far earlier than previously understood -- even before a measurable rise in blood pressure occurs -- according to a new preclinical study from Weill Cornell Medicine. The changes help explain why hypertension is a major risk factor for developing cognitive disorders, such as vascular cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease .

The study reveals that hypertension triggers early gene expression changes in individual brain cells, which may interfere with cognitive functions such as thinking and memory. The findings may lead to medications that both reduce blood pressure and prevent cognitive decline.

Patients with hypertension have a 1.2 to 1.5-fold higher risk of developing cognitive disorders than people withou

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