Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra (Apr 2012)
The Role of Suboptimal Home-Measured Blood Pressure Control for Cognitive Decline
Abstract
Aim: We aim to analyze if there is any correlation between suboptimal home-/self-measured blood pressure values and the results from neuropsychological screening tests for early cognitive impairment. Methods: We studied 325 patients with treated hypertension. Mean age was 66.12 (±10.1) years. There were 119 (36.6%) male and 206 (63.4%) female patients, among them 52 (16%) with atrial fibrillation. Neuropsychological tests performed were the Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Hachinski Ischemic Score; additionally, home-measured blood pressure was used. Results: There is a nonlinear age- and risk factor-dependent correlation between early stages of cognitive impairment and suboptimal home-measured blood pressure. Conclusion: The use of specific and sensitive neuropsychological tests for early cognitive impairment in patients with suboptimal home-measured blood pressure is effective in the everyday practice.
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