Latest / Morning Medical with Dr. Chow / Untreated High Blood Pressure's Link to Alzheimer's and the Psychology of Ghosting

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Untreated High Blood Pressure's Link to Alzheimer's and the Psychology of Ghosting · Morning Medical with Dr. Chow

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  Good morning and welcome to Morning Medical with Dr.
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  Chow.
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  I am your host, Dr.
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  Chi-Ming Chow.
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  Today, we have some fascinating and crucial health news to discuss, including a new study
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  that links untreated high blood pressure to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease.
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  This study, published in the medical journal Neurology, indicates that people aged 60 and
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  older who have untreated high blood pressure may be more likely to develop Alzheimer's
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  disease, a common type of dementia.
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  Although the results do not prove that untreated high blood pressure causes
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  Alzheimer's disease, they do show a significant association, according to a press release from
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  the American Academy of Neurology.
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  The lead author of the study, Dr.
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  Matthew J.
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  Lennon from the University of New South Wales in Australia, emphasized that high blood
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  pressure is a leading cause of stroke and cerebrovascular disease.
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  However, it can be controlled with medication, thereby reducing a person’s risk of these
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  conditions.
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  The study analyzed data from 31,250 people, with an average age of 72, who were involved in
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  various studies measuring cognitive change and dementia diagnosis over time.
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  After four years, 1,415 participants developed Alzheimer's disease.
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  The findings revealed that people with untreated high blood pressure had a 36 percent
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  increased risk of developing Alzheimer's compared to those without high blood pressure.
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  Additionally, they had a 42 percent increased risk compared to those who had high blood
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  pressure but were taking medication to control it.
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  Interestingly, the results indicate that this relationship is not altered by increasing age,
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  meaning that even those in their 70s and 80s are at a significantly lower risk of
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  Alzheimer's if their hypertension is treated.
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  Dr.
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  Lennon noted that treating high blood pressure as a person ages continues to be a crucial
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  factor in reducing their risk of Alzheimer's disease.
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  The researchers also found that there were no significant differences in the effects of blood
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  pressure or medication use across different sexes or racial groups.
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  This is promising because it suggests that optimal care for one group will be similar for
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  others.
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  Dr.
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  Lennon added that treating high blood pressure as people age remains crucial for reducing
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  their risk of Alzheimer's disease.
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  Dr.
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  Marc Siegel, a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a senior medical
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  analyst, reacted to these findings by explaining that Alzheimer's disease involves
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  neuroinflammation and the formation of plaques that interfere with neuronal communication.
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  He highlighted that high blood pressure might accelerate this development by interfering with
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  the oxygen and blood supply to the nerve cells of the brain, particularly affecting the
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  frontal lobe.
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  Dr.
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  Elizabeth Landsverk, a geriatric medicine physician and author, also commented on the
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  findings.
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  She pointed out that we have long known that high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high
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  glucose levels, obesity, smoking, and alcohol use contribute to increased risks of heart
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  attack, stroke, and vascular dementia.
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  This new study adds Alzheimer's disease to that list, showing a decreased risk among those
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  treated for hypertension.
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  However, the study does have some limitations.
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  The researchers used data from 14 different longitudinal studies around the world, which
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  means there could be some variability in how they define dementia and high blood pressure.
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  Most of these studies did not report mortality data, so the analysis did not account for
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  competing risks of dementia and death.
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  Factors like socioeconomic status, health literacy, access to medications, poorly managed
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  medical conditions, and mental health issues could also confound the association between
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  hypertension status and dementia risk.
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  Hypertension is extremely common, affecting two-thirds of those over the age of 65 and
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  around 1.3 billion people worldwide.
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  Dr.
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  Lennon noted that it is clinically silent in most cases, causing no symptoms until a person
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  presents with a heart attack, a stroke, or dementia.
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  Only 28 percent of those with high blood pressure have it under adequate control.
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  He emphasized the importance of keeping a close eye on blood pressure and bringing it under
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  control to maximize one's chances of a longer, healthier life.
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  For those who are obese, Dr.
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  Landsverk added that losing weight is the fastest way to decrease risk factors.
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  She advised adopting a plant-based diet and exercising for 30 minutes each day to reduce
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  the risk of heart attack, stroke, dementia, and now Alzheimer's disease by as much as 40
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  percent.
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  Mayors and councillors from across Ontario are gathering in Ottawa for the annual Association
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  of Municipalities of Ontario conference.
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  This year marks the 125th edition of the conference, which brings together over 2,500
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  participants, including municipal leaders and staff, to discuss pressing issues facing
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  communities across the province.
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  Among the key topics on the agenda are the housing shortage, the opioid epidemic, climate
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  change, crumbling infrastructure, access to health care, and Indigenous engagement.
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  Ontario Premier Doug Ford will be among the speakers, along with Health Minister Sylvia
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  Jones, Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma, and Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul
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  Calandra.
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  The conference provides an opportunity for delegates to engage directly with
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  representatives from provincial ministries and ask questions.
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  Isabel Anne McRae, a town councillor in Perth, Ontario, emphasized the value of sharing ideas
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  and solutions, noting that each municipality has its unique challenges and perspectives.
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  This year, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario is advocating for a joint 'social and
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  economic prosperity review' with the Ontario government.
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  The goal is to assess the sustainability and effectiveness of current investments in public
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  services and infrastructure, aiming to make life more affordable across the province.
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  Brian Walker, the executive director of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario,
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  stated that municipalities are expected to solve systemic social and economic issues that
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  are provincial and national in scope.
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  He highlighted that municipalities are 'overwhelmed' by challenges such as homeless
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  encampments and the opioid crisis.
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  Marianne Meed Ward, the mayor of Burlington and chair of Ontario's Big City Mayors, described
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  the situation as an 'unprecedented humanitarian crisis,' with an estimated 234,000 people
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  homeless in Ontario.
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  She called for the Ford government to appoint a minister or create a ministry dedicated to
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  addressing the full spectrum of housing needs, mental health, and addictions.
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  The conference comes just days after Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe expressed concerns about
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  fair funding from provincial and federal governments.
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  He pointed out the city's disproportionate burden in areas like transit funding and
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  property tax payments.
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  Casselman Mayor Geneviève Lajoie plans to discuss funding for addressing high manganese
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  levels in the town's water and the need for more money for doctors.
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  She expressed eagerness to hear Premier Ford's new initiatives and how they could be adapted
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  to her municipality's needs.
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  Isabel Anne McRae mentioned that the conference is an excellent opportunity for municipalities
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  to learn from each other.
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  She noted that it provides reassurance to know that other communities are also facing similar
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  challenges during these difficult times.
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  The Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference runs until Wednesday, offering a
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  platform for municipal leaders to engage in meaningful discussions and collaborate on
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  solutions to improve the well-being of their communities.
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  Ghosting is usually seen as a terrible thing to do.
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  You are hitting it off with a new fling or friend when suddenly, they drop off the face of
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  the Earth without warning and with absolutely no explanation.
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  You then realize you have been ghosted, perhaps vowing to never treat anyone how you were
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  treated.
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  Ghosting has probably existed since the dawn of time in some way, but when internet dating
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  surged around the mid-2010s, ghosting became more common.
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  Its popularity led Dr.
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  Jennice Vilhauer, a psychologist in Los Angeles, to write one of the first psychology
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  articles on the topic in 2015.
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  Merriam-Webster even added the term to its dictionary in 2017, and Google searches of the
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  term peaked in 2019.
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  Today, there are thousands of articles on ghosting, and it happens so often that many
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  people in the dating scene now anticipate it.
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  But that does not mean being ditched is painless.
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  According to Dr.
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  Vilhauer, we are wired to be connected to other people, and getting rejected has a negative
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  effect on us in terms of how we evaluate ourselves, as well as our perception of safety
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  in the world.
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  The pain is just as real as if you have a physical pain.
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  Ghosting lacks the clarity and certainty of an explicit rejection, which helps people process,
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  feel closure, and move on.
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  The absence of these things can be distressing, especially if you are filling in the blanks
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  with worst-case scenarios.
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  People can become more guarded, which is detrimental to finding love or friendship.
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  Those doing the ghosting may feel relief, guilt, both simultaneously, or apathy.
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  We live in a time when the expediency and inhuman nature of technology and dating apps
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  render many people uncomfortable with difficult emotions and conversations and less accountable
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  to people we know we may never again encounter in person.
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  On dating apps, ghosting can be a simple and efficient way to end one of multiple
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  connections someone is simultaneously entertaining.
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  The more anonymous someone is, the easier it is to dehumanize them.
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  Figuring out what message will end things while also preserving their feelings can be
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  challenging.
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  Some people lack maturity or empathy.
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  Others are avoidant and dislike interactions that might involve conflict since people often
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  negatively react to being told, 'I do not really want to hang out with you or talk to you
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  anymore.'
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  If you tend to ghost for this reason, you are likely avoiding conflict in other areas of your
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  life.
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  Working with a therapist can help you overcome this habit.
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  The decision to ghost another person is not always consciously made—sometimes, people just
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  mentally cast aside the issue in their mind because they do not feel like dealing with it
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  at the time, then end up never responding.
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  There are some people who would have preferred to be ghosted rather than knowing how much the
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  'ghoster' dislikes them.
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  But you cannot predict how someone will feel—so, whether it is a friendship or romantic
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  connection you are ending, generally, providing some kind of final communication so the
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  recipient can at least process it is best.
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  The most acceptable reason for ghosting is, without a doubt, if there has been abuse or if
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  further communication would put you in danger.
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  In an abusive relationship, exiting it is often the most dangerous part.
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  Sometimes, people have attempted to reject someone before, and that person has responded
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  really angrily or aggressively, and so they are afraid to try again.
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  So they ghost to try to protect themselves.
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  Ghosting is also acceptable if the other person is exhibiting inappropriate behaviors such as
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  sending unsolicited explicit photos, showing up at your workplace, contacting your exes,
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  stealing from you, or showing blatant disregard for your boundaries.
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  While some people think ghosting someone they have only been on one or two dates with is OK,
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  experts disagree.
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  Generally, they say that the kindest and most appropriate thing to do is to send a quick
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  message such as this: 'It was really nice to meet you, but I did not feel a connection.'
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  If you are actively considering ghosting someone, ask yourself if it is necessary or if
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  you just want to avoid an awkward situation.
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  Is ghosting going to solve the problem in a way that makes sense for you?
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  Do you feel good about it?
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  If you have been ghosted, try not to dwell on it too much, especially because that person
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  probably is not thinking about you.
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  That is, of course, easier said than done, but there are many healthy ways to distract
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  yourself—exercising, listening to music, and pursuing other hobbies.
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  When someone has ghosted us, we can often feel a lack of belongingness.
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  It might help to reach out to other friends to reconnect with them or reach out to family so
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  that you are reaffirming the other parts of your life where you do feel that belongingness
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  and a more positive sense of self.
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  You can vent, but at some point, talking about it a lot is a fruitless exercise since you have
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  no control over, or knowledge of, why that person ditched you.
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  Asking for an explanation once or twice if you want is OK, but do not continue to demand one.
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  Recognize that person is actively choosing to not respond—that is a response in and of
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  itself, and you should not continue to choose someone who is not choosing you.
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  That is it for today’s episode of Morning Medical with Dr.
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  Chow.
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  Thank you for joining me as we covered some important topics, including the link between
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  high blood pressure and Alzheimer's disease, the challenges facing Ontario's municipalities,
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  and the complex issue of ghosting.
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  Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on health and wellness tomorrow.
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  Have a great day, everyone.