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[Blood rheology and cognitive function in elderly patients with uncomplicated isolated systolic hypertension]
Insights
In elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension, reduced cognitive function is linked to higher blood viscosity. This suggests blood viscosity may impact cognitive decline in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Neuroscience
Context:
- Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is common in the elderly.
- Cognitive impairment affects a significant portion of the aging population.
- The interplay between hypertension, blood rheology, and cognitive function requires further elucidation.
Purpose:
- To investigate the relationship between blood pressure, blood rheology, and cognitive function in elderly patients with ISH.
- To compare cognitive function and blood rheology parameters between ISH patients and healthy controls.
Summary:
- Elderly patients with ISH exhibited lower cognitive function compared to controls.
- Hypertensive patients showed increased blood viscosity and plasma viscosity.
- Blood viscosity at low shear rate strongly correlated with cognitive function in ISH patients.
Impact:
- Findings suggest that increased blood viscosity may contribute to cognitive decline in elderly individuals with ISH.
- This research highlights the potential role of rheological factors in managing cognitive health in hypertensive older adults.
- Further studies could explore interventions targeting blood viscosity to preserve cognitive function.
Abstract:
The relationship among blood pressure, blood rheology and cognitive function were evaluated in 40 elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) by control-case study. The cognitive function was lower in the patient group than in the control group (79.92 + 17.05 vs 91.24 + 14.06, P < 0.01). Among the hypertensive patients, the weak correlations were observed between the cognitive function and systolic blood pressure (r = -0.11, P < 0.05), but the correlations were strengthened when the two groups were considered together (r = -0.44, P < 0.01). Blood viscosity at low shear rate and plasma viscosity in the patient group were greater than in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). A close relation existed between blood viscosity at low shear rate and cognitive function (r = -0.82, P < 0.01), whereas the patients with normal cognitive function had viscosity similar to that in control subjects (r = -0.20, P < 0.05). Thus, increased blood viscosity may be a determinant or a response to decrease cognitive function in the elderly patients with uncomplicated systolic hypertension.