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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

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.
None:
Our aim was to systematically review and meta-analyse evidence on the association between pulse pressure (PP) and cognitive function using PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase and Scopus (inception-July 2025) publication databases. Studies were included if they reported an association between PP and cognitive function and summarized narratively and by performing fixed-effects meta-analysis. The search identified 4171 publications with 43 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Domains assessed included global cognition, memory, language, attention, executive function, processing speed and visuospatial ability. Meta-analysis suggests a positive association between PP and global cognition, and a negative association with memory in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies with inconsistent findings from narratively summarized studies. Processing speed, executive function and language negatively associated with PP in cross-sectional studies with limited evidence provided by longitudinal studies or narratively summarized studies. There was limited evidence of an association with attention and visuospatial ability.
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