Does hypertension differentially affect cognitive function in older men and women?
Hypertension is associated with worse cognitive function in older adults, with a more pronounced adverse effect observed in women across multiple cognitive domains.
Here we examined potential interactive relations of hypertension and gender to cognitive function in 98 healthy, older adults (ages 55-83 years; 64% male; 92% White). After statistical adjustment for age and education, hypertensives performed significantly more poorly than normotensives on tests of motor speed and manual dexterity (p < 0.05). The adverse consequences of hypertension in older adults was more pronounced for female than male hypertensives on tests of delayed visual memory, visual attention and working memory, visuoconstructional ability, motor speed and manual dexterity for the non-dominant hand (p < 0.05); these are dimensions of performance for which female gender may be a relative disadvantage. The findings suggest the need to further examine subgroups that are vulnerable to the cognitive correlates of hypertension. The results also highlight the need for increased attention to blood pressure control in older adults for the preservation of cognitive function.
Waldstein et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: