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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
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Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
Association between pulse pressure and markers of cognitive function: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Olivia Gaunt1, Kaavya Venkatesh2, Ryan McNally3
1King's College London, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, Sport and Exercise Medical Sciences.
Journal of Hypertension
|July 28, 2026
Summary
High pulse pressure (PP) is linked to poorer memory and global cognition. This systematic review and meta-analysis explores the connection between PP and various cognitive functions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cardiovascular Health
- Cognitive Aging
Background:
- Pulse pressure (PP) is the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
- Elevated PP is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and may impact brain health.
- Understanding the PP-cognition link is crucial for identifying potential interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze existing evidence on the association between pulse pressure and cognitive function.
- To assess the impact of PP across various cognitive domains, including memory, executive function, and processing speed.
- To synthesize findings from both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, and Scopus databases.
- Studies reporting an association between PP and cognitive function were included.
- Meta-analysis (fixed-effects model) and narrative summarization were employed to analyze the data.
Main Results:
- Meta-analysis indicated a positive association between PP and global cognition.
- A negative association was found between PP and memory in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.
- Processing speed, executive function, and language showed negative associations with PP in cross-sectional studies.
Conclusions:
- Pulse pressure is associated with cognitive function, particularly negatively impacting memory.
- Findings suggest PP may be a relevant biomarker for cognitive decline.
- Further research, especially longitudinal studies, is needed to clarify PP's role in attention and visuospatial abilities.
Keywords:
CICVDDBPMMSEMoCAPPSBPattentioncardiovascular diseasecognitioncognitive declinecognitive functionconfidence intervaldiastolic blood pressureexecutive functionlanguagememorymini mental state examinationmontreal cognitive assessmentprocessing speedpulse pressuresystolic blood pressurevisuospatial ability
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