Blood pressure variability and brain morphology in elderly women without cardiovascular disease
Why the study?
To examine the relationship between blood pressure variability, brain volumes, and cognitive functioning in postmenopausal women with few modifiable cardiovascular risk factors.
Does higher systolic blood pressure variability reduce hippocampal volume and cognitive functioning in postmenopausal women without cardiovascular disease?
Population
558 postmenopausal women without CVD, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or current smoking (mean age 69 years)
Comparison
Blood pressure variability across visits
Design
Cohort study (WHIMS-MRI)
Follow-up
Median 8 (0.8) years
Authors
Discussion
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Member takes
Implication
Greater systolic BPV linked to lower hippocampal and higher lesion volumes in low-risk postmenopausal women; leaves open causal effects on cognition.
Structured PICO
Does higher systolic blood pressure variability reduce hippocampal volume and cognitive functioning in postmenopausal women without cardiovascular disease?
P
Population
558 postmenopausal women without cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or current smoking, mean age 69 years.
I
Intervention
Highest tertile of systolic blood pressure variability (BPV)
C
Comparator
Lowest tertile of systolic blood pressure variability (BPV)
O
Outcome
Brain volumes (hippocampal volume and lesion volumes) on MRI and cognitive functioning (Modified Mini-Mental State Examination scoring)surrogate
In postmenopausal women without traditional cardiovascular risk factors, greater visit-to-visit systolic blood pressure variability is associated with adverse brain morphology changes, highlighting BPV as a potential prognostic indicator.
Cite This Study
Haring et al. (2019) studied this question.