Study details molecular changes in how hypertension can impair cognition

NEW DELHI, Nov 17: Hypertension can start impairing major brain cells responsible for cognition well before blood pressure increases by a measurable amount, according to a study conducted on mice, which can help explain how the condition is a major risk factor for cognitive impairment. Findings published in the journal Neuron suggest that hypertension may induce early changes in how genes in a brain cell express themselves and could interfere with one’s thinking and memory, researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College said. The study can provide clues for finding ways through which neurodegeneration — seen in disorders such as Alzheimer’s — could be blocked, they said. Having high blood pressure has been shown to heighten one’s risk of cognitive impairment, usually seen to prece