Dementia Prevention as the Neurovascular Dividend of Hypertension Control
Among all modifiable dementia risk factors, none carries more global weight, nor more preventable potential, than hypertension. In the 2023 Global Burden of Disease analysis, elevated systolic blood pressure remained the leading global risk factor for health loss, responsible for 8.4% of all disability-adjusted life years, surpassing air pollution, hyperglycemia, and tobacco as the foremost cause of preventable mortality and disability.1 Within this framework, dementia continues to rise as one of the fastest-growing contributors to neurological disability, reinforcing that vascular health and brain health are inseparable public-health priorities.
