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NT-proBNP, blood pressure, and cognitive decline in the oldest old: The Leiden 85-plus Study
Peter van Vliet1, Behnam Sabayan2, Liselotte W Wijsman2
1From the Departments of Gerontology and Geriatrics (P.v.V., B.S., L.W.W., S.P.M., A.J.M.d.C., R.G.J.W.), Neurology (P.v.V.), Radiology (B.S.), and Public Health and Primary Care (R.K.E.P., W.d.R., J.G.), Leiden University Medical Center; and Netherlands Consortium of Healthy Ageing (L.W.W., A.J.M.d.C., R.G.J.W.), Leiden, the Netherlands. P.van_Vliet@lumc.nl.
Objective:
To study the relation between N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, used as a marker of heart failure in clinical practice, blood pressure (BP), and cognitive decline in the oldest old.
Methods:
In 560 participants of the Leiden 85-plus Study, we measured NT-proBNP levels and BP at age 85 years, at baseline, and global cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]) annually during the follow-up of 5 years.
Results:
Subjects in the highest tertile of NT-proBNP levels scored 1.7 points lower on the MMSE at age 85 years than subjects in the lowest tertile (p = 0.004), and had a 0.24-point-steeper decline in MMSE score per year (p = 0.021). The longitudinal association disappeared after full adjustment for possible confounders (0.14-point-steeper decline, p = 0.187). Subjects in the category "highest tertile of NT-proBNP and the lowest tertile of systolic BP" had a 3.7-point-lower MMSE score at baseline (p < 0.001) and a 0.49-point-steeper decline in MMSE score per year (p < 0.001) compared with subjects in the other categories.
Conclusions:
In the oldest old, high NT-proBNP levels are associated with lower MMSE scores. The combination of high NT-proBNP levels and low systolic BP is associated with worst global cognitive function and the steepest cognitive decline. Possibly, a failing pump function of the heart results in lower BP and lower brain perfusion with resultant brain dysfunction.
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