Elevated Blood Pressure Variability Linked to Lower Cognitive Scores

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Elevated blood pressure variability (BPV), especially in older Black adults, is associated with lower cognitive scores, according to a study published online Dec. 11 in Neurology.

Anisa Dhana, Ph.D., from the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging in Chicago, and colleagues conducted a prospective observational cohort study involving 4,770 individuals aged older than 65 years, with repeated blood pressure assessment. During 18 years of follow-up, blood pressure was measured every three years. The association between systolic and diastolic BPV and cognition, assessed by standardized cognitive tests, was examined.

The researchers found that the mean systolic BPV was 17.7 and 16.0 mm Hg in Black and White individuals, respectively. There was an association seen for higher systolic and diastolic BPV with lower cognitive scores at the end of follow-up. Participants in the third versus the first tertile of systolic BPV had lower cognitive scores by 0.074 standardized units, corresponding to 1.8 years older in cognitive age. This association differed by race and was only significant in older Blacks. Compared with those in the first tertile, Black individuals in the third tertile of systolic BPV had lower cognitive scores by 0.115 standardized units, corresponding to 2.8 years older in cognitive age. For diastolic BPV, the findings were similar.

“Recognizing the high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, in Black individuals, the study suggests routine assessment for blood pressure to identify and mitigate the adverse role of BPV in cognitive functioning in older adults,” the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)