A study published , online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, has found that older adults whose blood pressure fluctuates over time may be more prone to experiencing problems with their thinking and memory skills. Interestingly, this association was observed among Black participants in the study but not among white participants.
It’s crucial to note that this study doesn’t establish a causal link between blood pressure fluctuations and cognitive problems; it merely reveals an association.
“These results imply that fluctuations in blood pressure represent a risk factor for cognitive issues, over and above the negative impacts of high blood pressure itself. Older adults should undergo routine monitoring of their blood pressure and any changes over time. By doing so, we can identify those who might have this problem and take steps to alleviate it, which could potentially help prevent or delay cognitive problems,” explained Anisa Dhana, MD, MSc, the study author from Rush University in Chicago.
The study encompassed 4,770 individuals with an average age of 71. Of these, 66% were Black participants, while the remainder were white participants.
At the start of the study, participants underwent blood pressure tests, and then these tests were repeated every three years for an average period of 10 years. They also completed thinking and memory skills tests both at the beginning and during their final visit.
Overall, the participants had an average blood pressure reading of 138/78 mmHg. High blood pressure is defined as 130/80 mmHg or higher.
Among the participants, Black individuals had an average variation over time in their systolic blood pressure (the top number) of 18 mmHg, compared to 16 mmHg for white participants.
The participants were categorized into three groups based on the extent of their blood pressure variation over time. For Black participants, those with the highest variability in their blood pressure achieved lower scores on the cognitive tests than those with the least variability. The difference in scores was equivalent to 2.8 years of cognitive aging.
However, for people who were taking blood pressure medications at the start of the study, there was no difference in scores on thinking tests at the end of the study among the groups with high and low blood pressure variation.
“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 stated. “Managing blood pressure and its fluctuations is emerging as an essential, modifiable risk factor.”
One limitation of the study is that it only involved Black and white participants, meaning the results might not be applicable to people of other races.
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