Systolic orthostatic hypotension is related to lowered cognitive function: Findings from the Maine‐Syracuse Longitudinal Study |
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| Authors: | Rachael V. Torres BA Merrill F. Elias PhD Georgina E. Crichton PhD Gregory A. Dore PhD Adam Davey PhD |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, College of Health Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA;2. Department of Psychology, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA;3. Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA;4. Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia;5. Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute on Aging Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA;6. Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition, College of Health Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA |
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| Abstract: | The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between orthostatic changes in blood pressure (BP) and cognition, with consideration given to cardiovascular risk factors and lifestyle variables. The cross‐sectional analysis included 961 community‐dwelling participants of the Maine‐Syracuse Longitudinal Study, for whom BP clinic measures (five sitting, five recumbent, and five standing) were obtained. Eighteen percent of participants had orthostatic hypotension (fall in systolic BP ≥20 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥10 mm Hg upon standing) and 6% had orthostatic hypertension (rise in systolic BP ≥20 mm Hg). Orthostatic hypotension and hypertension defined using traditional criteria were unrelated to cognition with covariate adjustment. However, an examination of systolic and diastolic BP change independently revealed that participants with systolic orthostatic hypotension had poorer global cognition, verbal memory, and scanning and tracking scores than those with normal systolic BP change. The authors conclude that systolic orthostatic hypotension is significantly associated with reduced cognitive function. |
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| Keywords: | cognition hypertension orthostatic hypotension |
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