Do you feel dizzy when you stand up? It increases your chance of dementia and strokes
DO you always feel dizzy when you stand up?
That "head spin" feeling you usually get from springing to your feet too quickly could actually increase your risk of killer diseases.
People who feel faint when they stand up are twice as likely to suffer a stroke, a new study found.
Light-headedness was also linked to a 54 per cent higher risk of dementia.
The spinning sensation is caused by a sudden drop in blood pressure, which can actually cause some people to faint.
It's medically known as orthostatic hypertension (OH).
American researchers analysed data on 11,709 healthy people with an average age of 54.
They asked the volunteers to lie down for 20 minutes and then stand up in a smooth, swift motion.
Their blood pressure was measured before and after standing up.
Those who recorded a big drop were more likely to suffer a stroke or dementia within 25 years.
LOW BLOOD PRESSURE PROTECTS YOUR BRAIN AS YOU AGE
SLASHING blood pressure in old age can drastically slow mental decline, a study found.
Pensioners put on an intensive treatment plan had a 19 per cent lower risk of cognitive impairment.
Researchers from Wake Forest School of Medicine, in the US, studied 9,361 OAPs.
Those who had their blood pressure lowered to a healthy range performed best.
There was no direct link of a reduced risk of dementia.
Carol Routledge, from Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “What’s good for the heart is also good for the brain.”
The findings were presented at an Alzheimer’s conference in Chicago.
Study leader Dr Andreea Rawlings, from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, said: “Measuring OH in middle-age may be a new way to identify people who need to be carefully monitored for dementia or stroke.
“More studies are needed to clarify what may be causing these links as well as to investigate possible prevention strategies.”
The findings were published in the journal Neurology.
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