title: High blood pressure and cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether high blood pressure (BP) levels are associated with faster decline in specific cognitive domains.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective longitudinal cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Uniform Data Set of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging Alzheimer's Disease Centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand three hundred eighty-five participants with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and measured BP values at baseline and two annual follow-up visits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neuropsychological test scores and Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR Sum) score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants with MCI with two or three annual occasions of high BP values (systolic BP ≥140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg) had significantly faster decline on neuropsychological measures of visuomotor sequencing, set shifting, and naming than those who were normotensive on all three occasions. High systolic BP values were associated as well with faster decline on the CDR Sum score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypertension is associated with faster cognitive decline in persons at risk for dementia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, USA. fgoldst@emory.edu
authors.forename: Felicia C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: Allan I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Levey
authors.forename: N Kyle
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Steenland
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology