Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026

Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
High blood pressure and cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment
Felicia C Goldstein1, Allan I Levey, N Kyle Steenland
1Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, USA. fgoldst@emory.edu
Objectives:
To determine whether high blood pressure (BP) levels are associated with faster decline in specific cognitive domains.
Design:
Prospective longitudinal cohort.
Setting:
Uniform Data Set of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging Alzheimer's Disease Centers.
Participants:
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.
Measurements:
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.
Conclusion:
Hypertension is associated with faster cognitive decline in persons at risk for dementia.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Dementia l: Introduction
Dementia
The progression of dementia is generally gradual.
Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists
Alterations in Blood Pressure
Hypertension (High blood pressure)
Hypertension occurs when blood pressure readings consistently exceed the normal range. It is diagnosed when systolic blood pressure (the top number, indicating pressure while the heart beats)...

