High blood pressure is associated with a faster decline in cognitive performance among middle-aged and older adults, according to a new study published in Hypertension.
Researchers assessed data from more than 7,000 adults in Brazil. The average age was 58.9 years old, and participants were followed for an average of nearly four years.
Overall, the team found that untreated high blood pressure— systolic blood pressure between 121 and 139 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure between 81 and 89 mmHg—led to an acceleration in cognitive decline for both middle-aged and older adults. This was even true when those readings did not last for an extended period of time.
“We initially anticipated that the negative effects of hypertension on cognitive function would be more critical when hypertension started at a younger age, however, our results show similar accelerated cognitive performance decline whether hypertension started in middle age or at older ages,” corresponding author Sandhi M. Barreto, MD, MSc, PhD, a professor of medicine at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil, said in a prepared statement. “We also found that effectively treating high blood pressure at any age in adulthood could reduce or prevent this acceleration. Collectively, the findings suggest hypertension needs to be prevented, diagnosed and effectively treated in adults of any age to preserve cognitive function.”
These findings, Barreto added, also “reinforce the need to maintain lower blood pressure levels throughout life”—especially since some of the blood pressure readings linked to cognitive decline were lower than what is typically viewed as hypertension.
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Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.