title: Untreated hypertension decreases heritability of cognition in late middle age.
abstract: Hypertension is a risk factor for cognitive decline, but the mechanisms underlying the effects of hypertension on cognition, particularly in midlife, are unclear. We examined whether hypertension modifies genetic influences on individual differences in cognition. Nine cognitive domains and general cognitive ability were assessed in a sample of 1,237 male twins aged 51-60 who were divided into three blood pressure groups: non-hypertensive; medicated hypertensive; and unmedicated hypertensive. Heritability was significantly lower among unmedicated hypertensives compared to medicated hypertensives and non-hypertensives for visual-spatial ability (p = 0.013) and episodic memory (p = 0.004). There were no heritability differences between non-hypertensives and medicated hypertensives. In addition, there were no significant differences in mean level cognition across the three blood pressure groups. These results suggest that in middle-aged men, untreated hypertension suppresses normal genetic influences on individual differences in certain domains of cognition prior to the emergence of hypertension-related effects on cognitive performance. These results further suggest that antihypertensive medication may protect against or reverse this effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, MC 3077, rm 603, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. terriev@uchicago.edu
authors.forename: Terrie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vasilopoulos
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Kremen
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Panizzon
authors.forename: Phyllis K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xian
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lyons
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Toomey
authors.forename: Lindon J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Eaves
authors.forename: Carol E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Franz
authors.forename: Kristen C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Jacobson
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D008957:Models, Genetic; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents