How age-related high blood pressure affects thinking and memory
Age-related Hypertension and Vascular Cognitive Impairment
This project tests whether a common blood pressure medicine (an angiotensin II Type 1 receptor blocker) can reduce blood vessel damage and brain inflammation that link age-related high blood pressure to memory and thinking problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11083766 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are using male and female aging rats to mimic how blood pressure changes with age and how that harms tiny blood vessels in the brain. They will look at blood-brain barrier function, signs of inflammation in the brain, and how these changes relate to thinking and memory. The team will compare younger and older animals and both sexes to understand age- and sex-related differences. They will give an angiotensin II Type 1 receptor blocker to see if it prevents or reduces vascular injury and cognitive decline.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People most likely to benefit would be older adults with high blood pressure or those at risk for vascular contributions to cognitive decline, including post-menopausal women.
Not a fit: People without high blood pressure or whose dementia is driven solely by nonvascular causes (pure Alzheimer pathology) may not benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could support using angiotensin receptor blockers to prevent or slow vascular-related memory and thinking problems in older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies and some clinical research have suggested angiotensin receptor blockers can help cognition, but results are mixed and the underlying mechanisms are still being worked out.
Where this research is happening
Atlanta, United States
- Emory University — Atlanta, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wainford, Richard David — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Wainford, Richard David
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.