HypertensionCohort study
Cumulative Blood Pressure Exposure During Young Adulthood and Mobility and Cognitive Function in Midlife
- Prospective cohort study
- community-based cohort
Authors' conclusion
Exposure to higher BP levels from young to midlife is associated with worse gait and cognitive performance in midlife. Furthermore, WMH moderates the association of cumulative BP exposure with gait, but not with cognitive function in midlife.
Study context
- Population
- Participants of the CARDIA study, young individuals followed over 30 yearsWhite matter hyperintensity (WMH) MRI subset n=144
- Participants
- 191 participants
- Exposure
- Higher vs lower cumulative blood pressure (BP) exposure from young adulthood to midlife
- Outcome
- Gait and cognitive function in midlife
- Follow-up
- Up to year 30 examination
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Higher cumulative SBP and DBP associated with slower walking speed
- both P=0.010
- Higher cumulative SBP and DBP associated with smaller step length
- P=0.011 and 0.005, respectively
- Higher cumulative SBP and DBP associated with higher gait variability
- P=0.018 and 0.001, respectively
- Higher cumulative SBP associated with lower executive cognitive performance
- P=0.021
- Higher cumulative SBP associated with lower memory performance
- P=0.015
- Higher cumulative SBP associated with lower global cognitive performance
- P=0.010
- Higher cumulative DBP associated with lower memory performance
- P=0.012
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Effect modification by WMH burden
- Association of cumulative BP with gait moderated by WMH burden
- interaction P<0.05
- Association of cumulative BP with cognitive function not different by WMH burden
- interaction P>0.05
Original publication
Cumulative Blood Pressure Exposure During Young Adulthood and Mobility and Cognitive Function in Midlife. Circulation. Published 21 November 2019. doi:10.1161/circulationaha.119.042502
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it