Correlates of cognitive status of old patients with isolated systolic hypertension

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
To assess cognitive functions and their correlates for a dementia-free cohort of old patients with isolated systolic hypertension. Cross-sectional data from the randomization period of the European Trial in Elderly with Systolic Hypertension (Syst-Eur Vascular Dementia Project). Sixteen European countries and Israel. We studied 2252 patients aged 60–100 years (mean 70). Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Spearman correlation of MMSE scores to demographic data or blood pressure. The MMSE was successfully completed for 1474 women and 751 men. The baseline blood pressure averaged 173 ± 10/86 ± 6 mmHg (means ± SD). Median age at which education of patients at school had stopped was 15 years. Men and women who consumed alcohol (28%) had median intakes of 8 and 3 g/day, respectively. The median MMSE score was 29 (range 15–30). The maximum score of 30 was attained by 609 (30%) subjects. Fifty-nine (3%) patients had a MMSE score of 23 or less. The MMSE score decreased with advancing age (r = −0.21, P Conclusion In a cohort of elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension, baseline cognitive function measured in terms of the MMSE score was high, probably due to selective recruitment of patients who were not clinically demented. Blood pressure was a weak contributor to cognitive status compared with age and level of education. Baseline cognitive function of women was negatively and independently correlated to systolic blood pressure.