Overview

• A phase 3 trial involving nearly 34,000 adults in rural China demonstrated a 15% reduction in all-cause dementia and a 16% reduction in cognitive impairment with intensive blood pressure management.
• The intervention provided free or low-cost antihypertensive medications, personalized coaching, lifestyle modifications, and home blood pressure monitoring delivered by community healthcare providers.
• Participants in the intervention group achieved better blood pressure control compared to those receiving usual care, with more individuals reaching target levels over the four-year study period.
• The findings, published in Nature Medicine, highlight the potential of scalable, community-based approaches to alleviate the global dementia burden, which is projected to triple by 2050.
• Experts call for further research with longer follow-up periods and trials in diverse settings to confirm the intervention's broader applicability and refine its components.