Although many people ignore the problem, surely most know by now that high blood pressure is dangerous. Generally though, people think of strokes and worsening cardiovascular disease when hypertension is mentioned.

Controlling blood pressure helps to keep the heart healthy and it can prevent strokes, but some recent findings suggest that it may also help the brain perform better as you age. That could prove to be a major benefit.

A group of Boston researchers from Harvard, Boston University and Veterans Affairs (VA) examined medical records of more than 350 older men who participated in the VA Normative Aging Study. This study included neuropsychological tests.

As the men aged, their overall neuropsychological function declined. This decline was found to be significantly more pronounced among men who developed uncontrolled hypertension. Specifically, these subjects showed reduced verbal fluency and poor word recall compared to men with controlled blood pressure.

The American Psychological Association estimates that about 60 percent of people over the age of 60 have hypertension. So, how's you blood pressure? Had it checked lately?

I do recommend that you regularly check your blood pressure. However, I do not recommend the use of pharmaceutical antihypertensives, they are too toxic. Follow a plan to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including healthy weight, and hypertension is most unlikely to be a problem. If you do need to do more, then consult a naturopathic doctor. You'll be in much safer hands than you would be seeing most regular doctors.