The association between low diastolic blood pressure in middle age and cognitive function in old age. A population-based study.
BACKGROUND
previous longitudinal studies have shown an inverse relation between blood pressure and cognitive function.


OBJECTIVE
to determine the association between mid-life blood pressure and performance in different areas of cognitive function in late life.


METHODS
we recruited 502 men, aged 69-74 years, from a population-based cohort in Uppsala, Sweden. Blood pressure had been measured at age 50 and we examined performance in 13 psychometric tests about 20 years later.


RESULTS
after the 39 men with a previous stroke had been excluded, there was an inverse relation between diastolic blood pressure at age 50 and performance 20 years later in the digit span test, the trail-making tests and in verbal fluency. The relationships were significant, independently of age, education and previous occupational level. Men within the lowest category of diastolic blood pressure (< or = 70 mmHg, n = 59) showed the best results. Baseline blood pressure levels were not linked to performance in tasks on vocabulary, verbal learning and memory or figure copying.


CONCLUSIONS
low blood pressure in mid-life indicates a low long-term cerebrovascular risk and is associated with higher late-life performance in cognitive tests that mainly assess subcortico-frontal cognitive functions.
Kilander
L
L
Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences/Geriatrics, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden. lena.kilander@geriatri.uas.lul.se
Nyman
H
H
Boberg
M
M
Lithell
H
H
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003971:Diastole; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis