A new study offers some hope for reducing your chances of developing dementia. The study demonstrated that reducing high blood pressure to lower levels than previously were recommended, from 140 to 120, reduced the chances of developing mild cognitive impairments, which are often a precursor to Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, by nearly 20%.

While many people think of Alzheimer’s when they think of dementia, there are many forms of dementia. Vascular dementia results from damage to the blood vessels in the brain, including mini strokes, caused by conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. One of the most important things we can do to prevent dementia is keep our blood pressure under control, and if you have diabetes, control your blood sugar. If you, or a loved one, have hypertension, even if your doctor says it is under control, discuss this study with your doctor and see if you should try to get it even lower.