Key result
Night-time systolic blood pressure correlated with poorer executive function in youth (r=0.21, P<0.05), mediating the negative impact of overweight/obese status on executive performance.
Why the study?
Neurocognitive impairment has recently emerged as hypertensive target organ damage in youth, prompting examination of the effects of hypertension and overweight on executive function performance.
Does hypertension and overweight impact executive function performance in children and adolescents?
Observational (n=116)
Does hypertension and overweight impact executive function performance in children and adolescents?
Effect estimate: r = 0.21
p-value: p=< 0.05
Night-time systolic blood pressure, rather than obesity per se, is a significant predictor of poor executive function performance in children and adolescents.
May link hypertension/overweight to executive impairment in youth; leaves open whether interventions improve neurocognition.
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Neurocognitive impairment has recently emerged as a hypertensive target organ damage in children and adolescents. In the present study, we aimed to examine the effect of hypertension and overweight on executive function performance in youth. METHODS: The study population included 116 consecutive children and adolescents referred to our outpatient hypertension clinic who underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and assessment of executive function by Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). RESULTS: Children and adolescents with hypertension presented higher T scores in shift sub-scale of Behavior Regulation Index (BRI) compared with normotensives. Participants with hypertension in the ABPM also presented higher T scores in subscales of metacognition (metacognition index). Night-time SBP correlated with BRI (r = 0.21, P < 0.05) and metacognition index (r = 0.19, P < 0.05) composite scales. BMI z score also correlated with BRI (r = 0.28, P < 0.005) and metacognition index (r = 0.22, P < 0.05) scales. The associations of night-time SBP with monitor and plan/organize subscales of metacognition index remained significant after adjustment for BMI z score and socioeconomical status. However, the associations of BMI z score with monitor scale was found to be mediated by night-time SBP. In ROC curve analysis, only night-time SBP could predict impaired performance in monitor and plan/organize scales (AUC 0.68 and 0.70, respectively). CONCLUSION: Night-time SBP may predict a poor performance in domains of executive function in youth. Although overweight/obese status was negatively associated with executive performance, mediation analysis showed that not obesity per se, but BP exerted negative impact on executive performance.
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Chrysaidou et al. (2020) conducted an observational in Hypertension and overweight (n=116). Night-time systolic blood pressure and overweight vs. Normotensives / normal weight was evaluated on Executive function performance (Behavior Regulation Index and metacognition index) (r = 0.21, p=< 0.05). Night-time systolic blood pressure correlated with poorer executive function in youth (r=0.21, P<0.05), mediating the negative impact of overweight/obese status on executive performance.
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