A new
study suggests a wide variance in "systolic" and "diastolic" blood pressure
affects mental ability in the very elderly.
The new findings mainly affect patients 80
years of age and older, said researchers who presented the new data at
the annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in New York.
The researchers looked at blood pressure
and cognitive function in 101 Japanese outpatients receiving treatment
for chronic diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, chronic
gastritis and osteoporosis.
"Although clinicians may be reluctant to
treat older patients aggressively, perhaps because of perceived lower benefits
or possible increased risk of medication side effects, these findings show
the potential value of interventions," said Kenichi Sakakura of the Public
Kiwa Clinic in Kumano, Mie, Japan.
The goal of the study was to evaluate the
association between pulse pressure and cognitive function in the very elderly,
specifically those over 80 years old. Cognitive function was tested in
five areas: orientation, registration, attention and calculation, recall,
and language.
"These results further validate previous
indications that variable blood pressure has an effect on cognitive function
in the very elderly," Sakakura said. "However, very little data exists
to support these theories, and more research is needed to confirm the full
impact of blood pressure on cognitive function in these patients."
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