Asia has 365 million elderly people, and this population is expected to reach 520 million by 2030
Asian countries also had the highest rates of dementia in the 2015 World Alzheimer Report
Because the risks of dementia and hypertension - which are related - increase with age, Asia is facing a troubling trend in its aging population
The HOPE Asia Network conducted a much-needed review of hypertension and dementia in Asia
They found that Asians had low awareness of hypertension as a major risk factor for brain damage
and compared to developed countries, Asian countries had poorer hypertension management
The HOPE Network emphasized the importance of controlling blood pressure variability to preserve cognitive functions
by reducing vascular dementia risk and global stroke burden
and suggested that Asia must focus on detecting hypertension and lowering blood pressure in midlife
to protect against later-life cognitive decline in its growing elderly population
Turana et al. “Hypertension and Dementia: A comprehensive review from the HOPE Asia Network” J Clin Hypertens (2019)