Who Can Participate?
- Participants must be 70 years or older
- Access to an email address, internet, and a device (laptop, computer, tablet, or smartphone) is required for online testing
- Participants need to share their GP’s information and designate a ‘study buddy’ (partner, relative, child, sibling, or friend) for contact if needed
What does the study involve?
The RECALL-Pilot study will test the feasibility of a remote trial in older adults to lower blood pressure to investigate whether this reduces the incidence of cognitive decline and dementia. There are no face-to-face appointments in this study – the whole study is done online from home, other than two blood tests: one at the beginning and one at the end of the study. You can withdraw from the study at any time.
Take medicine
We are asking adults aged 70 years or older to take a low-dose blood pressure lowering tablet for 60 days. This is taken by mouth/swallowed, once a day. We will post the tablets to your home.
Monitor blood pressure
If you agree to monitor your blood pressure during the study, we will also send you a blood pressure monitor and ask you to measure your blood pressure on several occasions throughout the study. After the study, you can keep the blood pressure monitor.
Online Test
You will need to have an email address, laptop/computer, and internet access at home to participate. You will also need to do some short online tests of memory and cognitive ability first to check your eligibility and then a couple of more times throughout the study. Each test will take about 15-20 minutes, using your own laptop/computer/tablet.
Why are we doing this study?
Dementia, which causes a progressive decline in memory and other aspects of cognition, and can change behaviour, is a major health issue around the world.
There are currently around 472,000 people affected by dementia in Australia, which is predicted to double in the next 35 years.
There is currently limited treatment for only one kind of dementia, so prevention is key. There is emerging evidence, though, that dementia may be preventable. Many studies have shown that high blood pressure increases the risks of cognitive decline and dementia.
Therefore, lowering blood pressure over a longer term may help reduce this risk, and help with memory, cognitive function, and overall health.
