There is a rapid increase of people living with dementia throughout the world. The Alzheimer’s society reports 46.8 million people are suffering from different forms of dementia worldwide. This number includes 5.8 million Americans and half a million Canadians. The statistics are projected to double in the next fifteen years.

Recently hypertension (high blood pressure) has been found to be cause of dementia. PEMF has proven to be effective at reducing high blood pressure and increasing micro-circulation to the brain.

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

The heart is the pump that generates Blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force that pushes oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body through pipes called arteries.

High blood pressure is typically greater than 140 over 90. These two numbers represent the flow and ebb of the blood. The higher reading (140 mmHg), measured while the heart is squeezing or beating, is called systolic pressure. The lower number (90mmHg), measured while the heart is not beating but filling with blood, is called diastolic.

There are two stages to high blood pressure:

1. Blood pressure covering 130 and 139 over 80 and 89.

2. Blood pressure greater than 140 over 90

If either the systolic or diastolic numbers climb, and pressure builds up in the arteries, it can split the arteries. These cracks repair by the release of platelets into the blood, creating blood clots. If the blood clot becomes too large, it can clog the artery. If the clotted artery is delivering blood to the heart, it can cause a heart attack. If the clotted artery is going toward the brain, it can cause a stroke.

High Blood Pressure Contributes to Dementia

Traditionally, dementia has had two known causes:

1. Diseases such as Alzheimer’s cause buildup of plaque in the brain and the cells die.

2. Strokes cause damage to large parts of the brain, leading to brain cell death.

During the past few years, medical studies have demonstrated a clear connection between dementia and high blood pressure. Researchers have examined how elevated blood pressure affects the brain’s blood vessels, which in turn, may impact memory, language, and thinking skills.

The white matter of the brain contains the axons (nerve wires) which connect the neurons (nerve cells). A fatty white insulator called myelin protects the nerve wires, giving the white matter of the brain its white colour. High blood pressure damages the tiny arteries that supply blood to the white-matter deep within the brain. If the blood vessels cannot nourish the axon wires with an oxygenated blood supply, the nerve signals are interrupted.

There are many wires which are passing the same memories back and forth. As these wires are damaged, instant recall is damaged, and it takes us longer to recall information. Over time, as more axon wires in the bundle are damaged, you cannot pull up memories from the database.

Lesions affecting the white matter of the brain can be seen using MRI scans. In the past, lesions were considered a normal function of ageing; but hypertension is now identified as a cause.

Scientific Studies on Hypertension

A Chinese study entitled Hypertension and Dementia: A comprehensive review published the following: The risk of hypertension and cognitive impairment/dementia increases with age. Recent data also show that the prevalence of hypertension and age‐related dementia are rising… Hypertension is known to be a major risk factor for damage to target organs, including the brain. Decreased cognitive function can indicate the presence of target organ damage in the brain. Twenty‐four‐hour blood pressure profiles and blood pressure variability have been associated with cognitive impairment and/or silent cerebral diseases, such as silent cerebral infarction or white matter lesions, which are predisposing conditions for cognitive impairment and dementia. Hypertension that occurs in midlife also affects the incidence of cognitive impairments in later life. Managing and controlling blood pressure could preserve cognitive functions, such as by reducing the risk of vascular dementia and by reducing the global burden of stroke, which also affects cognitive function. (1)

The Harvard Medical School Reported the following: “Multi-infarct dementia occurs when small vessels in the brain become diseased or blocked, depriving brain cells of the oxygen and glucose they need. If enough nerve cells are damaged or killed by the process, memory can’t be restored.” (2)

11,000 cases studied for 4 years

The National School of Development Research Institute of the Peking University conducted The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.(3) The study evaluated 11,000 people over four years, measuring blood pressure, recording those being treated, and conducting memory testing using cognitive scores.

The Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health analyzed the results of the Chinese research and presented its findings at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension 2019 Scientific Sessions.(4)

What stood out was that dementia. Scientists observed the following: Overall cognition scores declined over the four-year study. Participants ages 55 and older who had high blood pressure showed a more rapid rate of cognitive decline compared with those who were being treated for high blood pressure, and those who did not have high blood pressure. The rate of cognitive decline was similar between those taking high blood pressure treatment and those who did not have high blood pressure.

Dr. Walter Koroshetz, deputy director of NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, gave the conclusion: “If you look … for things that we can prevent that lead to cognitive decline in the elderly, hypertension is at the top of the list.”

In another study entitled, Hypertension and High Blood Pressure Are Associated With Dementia Among Chinese Dwelling Elderly: The Shanghai Aging Study, the authors concluded: The result from our study was consistent with most of the previous studies, which suggested that blood pressure and hypertension are key risk factors for cognitive impairment. Our study indicated that a history of hypertension, duration of hypertension, and high blood pressure were positively associated with dementia among older Chinese people living in an urban community.(5)

The Harvard Medical school published the following: Since hypertension damages blood vessels, it’s easy to see how it contributes to vascular dementia. Although the link to Alzheimer’s disease is less obvious, research suggests that vascular damage and tissue inflammation accelerate injury. …The weight of evidence now suggests that high blood pressure increases the risk of mild cognitive impairment, vascular dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Both systolic and diastolic hypertension take a toll; in general, the higher the pressure and the longer it persists without treatment, the greater the risk. European scientists reported that long-term antihypertensive therapy reduced the risk of dementia by 55%. Several American studies are only slightly less optimistic. One linked therapy to a 38% lower risk. Another reported that each year of therapy was associated with a 6% decline in the risk of dementia; in particular, men treated for 12 years or more enjoyed a 65% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease than men with untreated hypertension.(6)

Preventing Dementia with PEMF by reducing Hypertension

The excellent news is that PEMF is an effective, non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical method of reducing high blood pressure and, consequently, dementia.

PEMF has been proven to reduce high blood pressure. Consider a study on lowering high blood pressure which reported the following: Our findings suggest that PEMF therapy administered over a 12-week period (15 min sessions five sessions per week) had an impact on the systolic blood pressure and minor change in artery stiffness (as indicated by the lowering of each of these measures).

Experience of doctors using Vigo confirms this study. Doctor Adebayo stated the benefit of PEMF in treating hypertension: It happened four times already. A patient’s blood pressure was 148/93. The patient was anxious-looking. He is known hypertensive with suboptimal control; we put him on Pemf for 30 min, and his blood pressure dropped to 132/78. He says he felt calmer than when he got to the clinic.

He stated of another patient after being treated with PEMF: Another patient also expressed 5% drop in systolic and 2% drop in diastolic with the associated feeling of calmness and wellbeing.

PEMF has been found beneficial in increasing microvascular blood flow to the brain. Consider the findings of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Albuquerque during one of its studies: Thirty minutes of PEMF treatment-induced cerebral arteriolar dilation leading to an increase in microvascular blood flow and tissue oxygenation that persisted for at least 3 hours… These results suggest that PEMF may be an effective treatment for patients after traumatic or ischemic brain injury. Studies on the effect of PEMF on the injured brain are in progress. (7)

When it comes to preventing and slowing down dementia, science indicates that decreasing high blood pressure is one of the keys. With Vigo PEMF systems, you can hold that key in your hand, and take charge of your ageing process. By decreasing your blood pressure, you can decrease the potential for damage to the white brain matter, and consequently prevent dementia. The PEMF provides the ability to live a more active life, controlling arthritis and assisting with joint health. An active life clears out the arteries decreasing blood pressure. The increase in oxygenation of the blood feeds the brain cells with oxygen and nutrients required to thrive. Combine PEMF treatment with exercise and diet, and you can take charge of the ageing process.

References: (1) Chinese Journal of Clinical Hypertension, 29 April 2019. DOI: 10.1111/jch.13558. Hypertension and Dementia: A comprehensive review from the HOPE Asia Network. Yuda Turana MD, PhD; Jeslyn Tengkawan MD; Yook Chin Chia MBBS, FRCP; Satoshi Hoshide MD, PhD; Chen-Huan Chen MD; Peera Buranakitjaroen MD, MSc, Dphil; Jennifer Nailes MD, MSPH; Sungha Park MD, PhD; Saulat Siddique MBBS, MRCP, FRCP; Jorge Sison MD; Arieska Ann Soenarta MD; Jam Chin Tay MBBS, FAMS; Guru Prasad Sogunuru MD, DM; Yuqing Zhang MD, MSPH; Ji-Guang Wang MD, PhD; Kazuomi Kario MD, PhD. (2) Harvard Medical School, Updated June 19, 2019. (3) Chen X., Smith J., Strauss J., Wang Y., Zhao Y. (2017) China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). In: Pachana N.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geropsychology. Springer, Singapore (4) Shumin Rui, Chihua Li, Columbia Mailman School. High Blood Pressure Treatment May Slow Cognitive Decline. Ageing, Chronic Disease, Global Health, September 9, 2019. (5) Liang X, Shan Y, Ding D, Zhao Q, Guo Q, Zheng L, Deng W, Luo J, Tse LA and Hong Z (2018) Hypertension and High Blood Pressure Are Associated With Dementia Among Chinese Dwelling Elderly: The Shanghai Aging Study. Front. Neurol. 9:664. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00664 (6) Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, June 2013; 32(2): 165–172, Informa UK Ltd. ISSN 1536-8378 print/ISSN 1536-8386 online; DOI: 10.3109/15368378.2013.776420; Influence of pulsing electromagnetic field therapy on resting blood pressure in aging adults. Ja’nos Rikk, Kevin J. Finn, Imre Liziczai, Zsolt Rada’k, Zolta’n Bori & Ferenc Iha’sz (7) Journal of Neurosurgery. 2015 May ; 122(5): 1239–1247. doi:10.3171/2014.8.JNS132083. Increases in microvascular perfusion and tissue oxygenation via pulsed electromagnetic fields in the healthy rat brain. Denis E. Bragin, PhD, Gloria L. Statom, MSBME, Sean Hagberg, PhD, and Edwin M. Nemoto, PhD