Memory and Hypertension

A slowdown in memory and thinking skills normally occurs with ageing, but sometimes changes are more pronounced. Might this stem from high blood pressure, common among the elderly?

A study analyzed data on 918 older people average age 76, who had normal cognitive abilities at the start of the study; 626 had hypertension.

In about a five-year span, 334 were found to have mild cognitive impairment, an intermediate stage between normal cognition and dementia. Overall, people with hypertension were 40% more likely to have developed cognitive problems than were those with normal blood pressure.

However, they were no more likely to have the type of cognitive impairment that involves memory problems (amnestic impairment). Impairment without memory loss but including such functions as language and attention span (non-amnestic impairment) was 70% more common among people with hypertension.

Who may be affected? The elderly. People with mild cognitive impairment are more apt than the general population to progress to dementia in a few years.

Caveats: Data did not include information on duration or severity of hypertension might be "related to other behaviors related to poor health that, in turn, may increase the risk of cognitive decline." You can find this study in the December issue of Archives of Neurology. Learn more about mild cognitive impairment at www.ninds.nih.gov