How middle-age hypertension raises dementia risk later
London, June 13: A high blood pressure level but still below the usual threshold for treating hypertension can put 50-year-olds at increased risk of developing dementia later, revealed a study led by an Indian-origin researcher.
According to the American Heart Association, normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mmHg.
People with a systolic blood pressure (the top number) of 130 mmHg or more at the age of 50 had a 45 per cent greater risk of developing dementia than those with a lower level at the same age.
The risk was 47 per cent even in people with no heart or blood vessel-related conditions.
"Our work confirms the detrimental effects of midlife hypertension for risk of dementia," said lead author Archana Singh-Manoux, Professor at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in Paris.
The reason for the increased risk of dementia includes the fact that high blood pressure is linked to silent or mini strokes (where symptoms often are not noticeable), damage to the white matter in the brain, which contains many of the brain's nerve fibres, and restricted blood supply to the brain.
This damage may underlie the resulting decline in the brain's processes, the researchers explained in the study of nearly 9,000 people, published in the European Heart Journal.
However, the association was not seen at the ages of 60 and 70, and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) was not linked to dementia.
"Our analysis suggests that the importance of mid-life hypertension on brain health is due to the duration of exposure," the researcher said.
"So we see an increased risk for people with raised blood pressure at age 50, but not 60 or 70, because those with hypertension at age 50 are likely to be 'exposed' to this risk for longer," she added.
Another study reported in the journal Cardiovascular Research showed that higher risk of developing dementia in hypertensive patients occurs due to significant alterations in three specific white matter fibre-tracts linked to executive functions, processing speed, memory and related learning tasks -- brain areas associated with dementia.
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Have sanctioned 1,000 buses for next fiscal, says K'taka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Wednesday said the government has sanctioned procurement of 1,000 government buses in the next year’s budget.
According to him, in the current fiscal, 2,000 buses were sanctioned and many of them have already arrived.
Speaking in the Legislative Council, he alleged that the previous BJP government neither bought a single bus nor recruitment was done in the state transport department.
He was replying to BJP MLC Y M Satish’s request for buses for Ballari and Vijayanagara districts.
“From 2019 to 2023, not a single bus was purchased in the four corporations. Not even one bus. If buses are not purchased continuously for four years, what will happen to the organisation?” Reddy asked.
He recalled that the last time buses were procured and recruitments took place were in 2016, when he was the transport minister during the previous Congress government from 2013 to 2018.
“After we came to power (from 2013), we procured 6,080 new buses. Then last year, 2,000 buses were provided, and many of them have already arrived. This year too, 1,000 buses have been sanctioned in the budget,” Reddy told the House.
He noted that 9,000 people were recruited and 1,300 people were appointed on compassionate grounds during the Congress tenure.
The Minister added that around 2,000 to 2,500 buses have been refurbished.
“In total, 6,080 buses came in two years. Last year’s 2,000 buses, and now 1,000 more. Altogether, we have about 26,000 buses. Out of these, nearly one-third have been added in the last two-and-a-half years,” Reddy said.
Satish told the Minister that at least 100 red buses and about 20 Volvo buses are required for Ballari and Vijayanagara districts.
In response, Reddy said in 2022-23, 720 buses were given, and in 2024–25, 307 buses; in 2026, 140 buses—totalling 1,173 new buses were given to Kalyana Karnataka region.
There are around 4,000-odd buses in Kalyana Karnataka region, he said adding that another 400 buses have been tendered and funds have to be released.
“Additionally, 56 high-end buses—sleeper AC, non-sleeper AC, and Volvo buses—are also coming. Now, 400 buses are coming. Priority will be given to Ballari and Vijayanagara districts,” Reddy said.
