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Chicago, IL – New research published in the December 11, 2024, online issue of Neurology has revealed that older adults with fluctuating blood pressure may be at a higher risk of experiencing problems with thinking and memory skills. The study found this association in Black participants but not in white participants.
The study, conducted by researchers at Rush University, does not prove that blood pressure fluctuations cause cognitive issues; it only shows a correlation. “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 Dr. Anisa Dhana, the study’s author. “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, which could potentially help to prevent or delay cognitive problems.”
The study involved 4,770 individuals with an average age of 71, of whom 66% were Black and the remaining were white. Participants underwent blood pressure tests at the beginning of the study and every three years for an average of 10 years. They also completed thinking and memory skills tests at the start and at their last visit.
The average blood pressure of participants was 138/78 mmHg, with high blood pressure defined as 130/80 mmHg and higher. Black participants showed an average variation in their systolic blood pressure of 18 mmHg over time, compared to 16 mmHg for white participants.
Participants were divided into three groups based on their blood pressure variability. For Black participants, those with the most variability had lower scores on cognitive tests than those with the least variability, equating to 2.8 years of cognitive aging. However, for those taking blood pressure medications, there was no significant difference in thinking test scores based on 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 said. “Managing blood pressure and its fluctuations is emerging as an essential risk factor that can be modified.”
A limitation of the study is that it only included Black and white participants, so the results may not apply to individuals of other races.
For more information, read the original study: Blood Pressure Variability and Cognition in Black and White Older Adults Over 18 Years of Follow-up, Neurology (2024). DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000210151.
Journal information: Neurology.
