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Updated: Jan 17, 2026

Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
Relationship Between Cognitive Impairment and Death in Menopausal Women With Hypertension
Ling-Juan Zhu1,2, Tao Wang1,2, Chao Yu1,2
1Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center,The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University,Nanchang 330006,China.
Insights
Cognitive impairment significantly increases the risk of death in hypertensive menopausal women. Early detection of cognitive decline is crucial for intervention and improving outcomes in this high-risk group.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Neurology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Hypertension is a prevalent condition in menopausal women.
- Cognitive impairment is increasingly recognized as a significant health concern in aging populations.
- The relationship between cognitive function and mortality risk in hypertensive menopausal women requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between cognitive impairment and mortality (all-cause and cardiovascular) in postmenopausal women with hypertension.
- To determine if cognitive impairment is an independent risk factor for death in this specific demographic.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 4,595 hypertensive, postmenopausal women were assessed for cognitive function using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).
- Participants were followed for mortality outcomes over approximately four years.
- Statistical analyses included Kaplan-Meier curves, multivariate Cox regression, and restricted cubic splines to evaluate the relationship between cognitive status and death.
Main Results:
- Over 40% of the participants exhibited cognitive impairment at baseline.
- Women with cognitive impairment had significantly higher cumulative rates of both all-cause death (6.9% vs. 2.6%) and cardiovascular death (4.0% vs. 1.0%) compared to those with normal cognition.
- Multivariate analysis confirmed that cognitive impairment was associated with a 75% increased risk of all-cause death (HR=1.75) and a 156% increased risk of cardiovascular death (HR=2.56).
- Lower MMSE scores showed a linear negative correlation with the risk of both all-cause and cardiovascular death.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive impairment is an independent and significant risk factor for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in hypertensive menopausal women.
- Early identification and intervention for cognitive impairment in this population are essential for reducing mortality.
- These findings highlight the importance of integrated care addressing both cardiovascular health and cognitive function in postmenopausal women.
Abstract:
Objective To explore the relationships of cognitive impairment with cardiovascular death and all-cause death in menopausal women with hypertension.Methods A total of 4 595 natural-menopausal women with hypertension screened in Wuyuan County of Jiangxi Province from July to August 2018 were selected as the research subjects,and a follow-up investigation of death information was completed from June to August 2022.According to the baseline mini-mental state examination(MMSE)score,all subjects were allocated into a normal cognitive function group and a cognitive impairment group.The basic characteristics and the cumulative risk of death evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier curve were compared between two groups.The multivariate Cox regression model was adopted to analyze the effect of cognitive function on death,and the relationship between MMSE score and death was fitted by the restricted cubic spline.Results A total of 4 595 subjects with the mean age of(65.1±8.4)years were included in this study,in which and 1 859(40.5%)patients with cognitive impairment were detected.During a mean follow-up period of(3.9±0.4)years,199 all-cause deaths were collected,including 102 cardiovascular deaths.The normal cognitive function group and the cognitive impairment group had the cumulative all-cause death rates of 2.6%and 6.9%and the cumulative cardiovascular death rates of 1.0%and 4.0%,respectively.The Kaplan-Meier curve showed that the cumulative risks of all-cause death(χ2=47.287,P<0.001)and cardiovascular death(χ2=45.169,P<0.001)in the cognitive impairment group were higher than those in the normal cognitive function group.The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that compared with the normal cognitive function group,the cognitive impairment group had increased risks of all-cause death(HR=1.75,95%CI=1.28-2.39,P<0.001)and cardiovascular death(HR=2.56,95%CI=1.61-4.09,P<0.001).The results of the restricted cubic spline curve fitting showed that the MMSE score had linearly negative correlations with the risk of all-cause death(Pall<0.001, P n o n - l i n e a r i t y=0.519)and cardiovascular death(Pall<0.001, P n o n - l i n e a r i t y=0.195).Conclusion Cognitive impairment is an independent risk factor for all-cause death and cardiovascular death in menopausal women with hypertension,and early identification of cognitive impairment in this population is essential for timely intervention.
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