Blood pressure and cognitive decline in the elderly.
Elevated blood pressure is associated with cognitive decline in elderly people. Classically, hypertension was thought to lead to end-organ damage of the brain manifested by neuropsychological deficits. This review examines recent evidence for this hypothesis and also considers other possible causal mechanisms for the observed relationship between blood pressure and mental ability.
Starr
J M
JM
Centre for the Study of the Ageing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Scotland. john.starr@ed.ac.uk
D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological