Memory loss may be caused by high blood pressure and obesity

A new French study discovered that higher risks of memory loss in elderly people may be attributed to obesity, high blood pressure, and various risk factors of a condition called metabolic syndrome.

The study reported that the elderly who suffer from metabolic syndrome are notice a 20 percent increase in developing memory loss when compared to those not suffering from the said condition. Christelle Raffaitin of the French National Institute of Health Research in Bordeaux, France explained that managing metabolic syndrome may slow down the rate of cognitive decline associated with aging.

The University Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2 and Sanofi-Aventis collaborated in conducting the research, which can be found in the online journal Neurology.

Results showed that more than 15 percent of the participants, nearly 7,100 individuals over the age of 65, suffer from metabolic syndrome. The subjects performed various tests on memory, visual memory, and word fluency. The test period ran for four years in a two year test interval after the initial test was conducted.

Participants who have metabolic syndrome registered lower scores on these memory tests and noticed 13 percent higher chances of showing memory loss on visual tests.