title: Elderly hypertensives show decreased cognitive performance compared with elderly normotensives.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Essential hypertension has been associated with decreased cognitive performance; however, the literature is conflicting.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims at comparing cognitive performance between elderly normotensives ("N"; n = 17; age 68 ± 1; blood pressure = 133 ± 3/74 ±2 mmHg) and hypertensives ("H"; n = 28; age 69 ± 1, blood pressure = 148 ± 4/80 ± 1mmHg) with at least 5 years of education.
  
  
  METHODS
  The comprehensive neuropsychological assessment was comprised of the Cambridge Cognition-Revised (CAMCOG-R), the Trail Making Test A and B (TMT A and B) and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elderly hypertensives presented lower CAMCOG-R global scores (N = 87.6 ± 1.8; H = 78.6 ± 1.4; p = 0.002). The hypertensive's performance was slower in the TMT A and B (TMT A: N = 39 ± 3s; H = 57 ± 3s; p = 0.001; TMT B: N = 93 ± 7s; H = 124 ± 7s; p = 0.006), which was also reflected in smaller percentiles achieved by hypertensives in these tests. Hypertensive subjects exhibited a significantly lower RAVLT summation score (N = 51.8 ± 1.7; H = 40.7 ± 1.5; p < 0.0001). Even when adjusted for age, sex, education and depression symptoms, hypertension was an independent predictor of cognitive performance as measured by CAMCOG-R global score, TMT A and RAVLT summation score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cognitive performance is lower in elderly hypertensives as compared with elderly normotensives.
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ – Brazil. juduartte@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Juliana Magalhães Duarte
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Matoso
authors.forename: Wellington Bruno
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Irene de Freitas Henriques
authors.initials: Ide F
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Roberto Alves
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lourenço
authors.forename: Marcelo Lima de Gusmão
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Correia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests