Cohort study
Genetic analyses identify brain structures related to cognitive impairment associated with elevated blood pressure
- Mendelian randomisation study with observational analyses
- UK Biobank
- prospective validation cohort
Authors' conclusion
Complementary MR and observational analyses identify brain structures associated with BP, which may be responsible for the adverse effects of hypertension on cognitive performance.
Study context
- Population
- UK Biobank and consortia data (International Consortium for Blood Pressure, COGENT); 3935 brain MRI-derived phenotypes (imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs))
- Outcome
- Cognitive function (fluid intelligence score) and brain MRI-derived phenotypes associated with BP
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Mendelian randomisation (MR): effect of higher SBP on cognitive function
- −0.044 (SD; 95% CI −0.066, −0.021)
- MR: effect of higher SBP on cognitive function, further adjusted for DBP
- −0.087 (SD; 95% CI −0.132, −0.042)
- MR: IDPs significantly associated with SBP (false discovery rate P < 0.05)
- 242
- MR: IDPs significantly associated with DBP (false discovery rate P < 0.05)
- 168
- MR: IDPs significantly associated with pulse pressure (false discovery rate P < 0.05)
- 68
- MR: SBP-associated IDPs related to cognitive function, incl. anterior thalamic radiation, anterior corona radiata, external capsule
- 9
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Observational association of blood pressure (BP)-associated IDPs with cognitive function
- Most IDPs inversely associated with cognitive function in UK Biobank, with concordant effects in the validation cohort
Original publication
Genetic analyses identify brain structures related to cognitive impairment associated with elevated blood pressure. Eur Heart J. Published 27 March 2023. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehad101
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it