People who have fluctuating blood pressure for an extended period may be more likely to have thinking difficulty and memory problems as they age, Rush researchers found.
The research appears online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
“These results suggest that fluctuation in blood pressure is a risk factor for cognitive problems beyond the negative effects of high blood pressure itself,” said Rush researcher and study author Anisa Dhana, MD, MSc. “Older adults should be routinely monitored for their blood pressure and any changes over time so we can identify people who may have this issue and work to alleviate it. Doing so could potentially help to prevent or delay cognitive problems.”
The study included a total of 4,770 people living on the South Side of Chicago with an average age of 71.3. In the study, 66% of participants were Black individuals and the remaining 34% were white adults. In the study, fluctuating blood pressure was associated with a lower cognitive score, and this association was particularly observed among Black participants; a difference in cognitive scores was the equivalent of 2.8 years of cognitive aging.
“We don’t know if this would be the case with other races since there were only two races represented in this study,” Dhana said. No association was found in those taking blood pressure medications at the start of the study.
Blood pressure measures were taken at the beginning of the study and every three years over a span of 18 years. Blood pressure averaged 138/78 mmHg. High blood pressure is defined as 130/80 mmHg and higher. Black participants had a fluctuating blood pressure of approximately 18 mmHg, whereas white participants had a variation of 16 mmHg. Memory and thinking abilities were tested at the beginning of the study and at the last visit, on average 10 years apart.
The study authors note that the relationship between blood pressure variability and cognitive function findings differed by race and underscored the importance of cardiovascular risk factors on cognition among the Black American community.
“With our aging society and the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease, identifying prevention strategies to slow the decline of cognitive skills in older adults has become a public health priority,” Dhana said. “Managing blood pressure and its fluctuations is emerging as an essential risk factor that can be modified.”
The authors note that the findings require further validation and should be cautiously interpreted.
The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association.
