Current and Remote Blood Pressure and Cognitive Decline

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Abstract
High blood pressure (BP) is an important risk factor for vascular disease, including stroke, in the elderly.1,2 Because vascular disease can lead to dementia,3,4 this suggests a possible association between elevated BP and increased risk of dementia. However, the findings of cross-sectional, population-based studies of BP and cognitive function in the elderly have varied greatly. Some studies found higher rates of cognitive impairment associated with elevated BP,5 others with low BP,6 and other studies found little or no association.7 These results mirror the conflicting associations between BP and cardiovascular disease mortality found in observational studies of the elderly.8