Elevated Blood Pressure Variability Linked to Lower Cognitive Scores
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11, 2024 -- 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)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2024
Read this next
Salt Substitutes Infrequently Used by U.S. Adults
FRIDAY, Sept. 5, 2025 -- Few U.S. adults use salt substitutes (SS), including those with hypertension, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association...
Mortality Rates From Hypertensive Renal Disease Increased From 1999 to 2023
FRIDAY, Sept. 5, 2025 -- From 1999 to 2023, there was an increase in age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) for hypertensive renal disease, according to a study presented at the...
Sense of Life Purpose Lowers Risk for Cognitive Impairment
THURSDAY, Sept. 4, 2025 -- A sense of purpose in life (PiL) is associated with a lower risk for and later onset of cognitive impairment, according to a study published online in...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.