A research study suggests strict control of hypertension may help prevent dementia. Researchers at the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) used MRIs to scan the brains of hundreds of patients with high blood pressure.

They found that people who got “intensive” control of their high blood pressure showed a slowing of accumulation of certain lesions in the brain’s white matter, compared to people who got “standard” blood pressure treatment.

Prior research has suggested that people with high blood pressure are at increased risk for accumulation of white matter lesions and also for mental decline and dementia.

The study also found that patients who received intensive blood pressure control had slightly more loss of the brain’s volume, compared to people who got standard treatment.