Low blood pressure: A cause of Alzheimer's?

Low blood pressure is not a risk factor for dementia or Alzheimer's disease. But clearly, good brain function relies on adequate blood supply for oxygen. For this reason, chronic and severely low blood pressure — regardless of the cause — may deprive your brain of the oxygen it needs to function at its optimal level.

There have been some reports that chronic low blood pressure may be associated with changes in the brain's white matter on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. But evidence of a direct link between such changes and dementia or Alzheimer's is weak at best. Much more research would be needed to establish what, if any, role low blood pressure plays in the development of dementia.