As reported on this blog some time ago, a study released in 2013 suggested that higher blood pressures might actually reduce the risk of dementia in older people – a potentially eye-popping conclusion, although the authors cautioned that further research would be needed to confirm these findings.
Since then, the research community has complied in spades, churning out a number of studies that explore the link between blood pressure and dementia. Fortunately for those of us who don’t love analyzing medical-journal articles, a group of Parisian researchers has sifted through the reports for us.
The result is a comprehensive literature review of 39 studies. Its conclusion? “Randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses provided more conflicting results.”
While the reviewers added that the discrepancies could possibly be caused by “methodological issues,” one has to wonder: Perhaps there’s no connection between hypertension and dementia. Perhaps these things are all in the hands of our omniscient, omnipotent, perfectly loving and perfectly just Creator, whose purposes are perfect even if our finite little minds are incapable of discerning them.
And a corollary: Perhaps we’d be better off thinking a little less about our happiness, peace and comfort during the last leg of our lives and a little more about where we’ll be spending eternity. For this investigation, we need consult just one source, and it will never deliver conflicting results.
Since then, the research community has complied in spades, churning out a number of studies that explore the link between blood pressure and dementia. Fortunately for those of us who don’t love analyzing medical-journal articles, a group of Parisian researchers has sifted through the reports for us.
The result is a comprehensive literature review of 39 studies. Its conclusion? “Randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses provided more conflicting results.”
While the reviewers added that the discrepancies could possibly be caused by “methodological issues,” one has to wonder: Perhaps there’s no connection between hypertension and dementia. Perhaps these things are all in the hands of our omniscient, omnipotent, perfectly loving and perfectly just Creator, whose purposes are perfect even if our finite little minds are incapable of discerning them.
And a corollary: Perhaps we’d be better off thinking a little less about our happiness, peace and comfort during the last leg of our lives and a little more about where we’ll be spending eternity. For this investigation, we need consult just one source, and it will never deliver conflicting results.
RSS Feed