NIH launches public health campaign on link between hypertension and brain health

A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that uncontrolled high blood pressure is not only the leading cause of stroke but may also be linked to cognitive decline and dementia. Today, the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is launching a public health education campaign called Mind Your Risks. The campaign is designed to raise awareness about how controlling the risk factors for stroke in middle age, particularly high blood pressure, may reduce the risk of cognitive decline later in life.

"We hope that this campaign will lead people to think about how they can decrease their chances of developing dementia later in life. The Mind Your Risks campaign will offer some concrete prevention steps. Controlling hypertension is at the top of the list," said Walter J. Koroshetz, M.D. director of the NINDS.

NINDS is partnering with Million Hearts, an initiative by the Health and Human Services Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and also with the Administration for Community Living, and the NIH's National Institute on Aging and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.