Cognitive Function and Health-Related Quality of Life in Elderly Patients with Hypertension - Baseline Data from the Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE)

The Study on COgnition and Prognosis in the Elderly (SCOPE) study is a multi-centre, prospective, randomized, double-blind, and parallel-group study aiming at comparing the effects of candesartan cilexetil and placebo on cardiovascular events and cognitive function in elderly patients with hypertension. The aim of this sub-analysis was to present data on cognitive function and health-related quality of life (HRQL) at baseline (randomization), and to investigate whether cognitive function was related to HRQL. More specifically, the main aim was to investigate the possible relationship between the Mini-Mental State Examination on one hand, and the Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB) index, the Subjective Symptom Assessment (SSA-P) Profile and the EuroQoL Health Utility Index (EQ-5D) on the other. All the instruments are extensively validated. A general finding was that cognitive function was positively associated with higher well-being (PGWB total score and self-control) and higher utility value (EQ-SD current health) but was unrelated to the occurrence of subjective adverse symptoms (SSA-P). Age and the use of psychotropic drugs, but not gender and education level, influenced this relationship significantly.