Prehypertension in midlife is associated with worse cognition a decade later in middle-aged and older women

KHM Chen; VW Henderson; RJ Stolwyk; L Dennerstein; C Szoeke

Journal article

Prehypertension in midlife is associated with worse cognition a decade later in middle-aged and older women

KHM Chen, VW Henderson, RJ Stolwyk, L Dennerstein, C Szoeke

Age and Ageing | OXFORD UNIV PRESS | Published : 2015

DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afv026

Abstract

Background: previous studies raised the possibility that adverse health effects associated with elevated blood pressure (BP) begin at prehypertension levels (BP = 120-139/80-89 mmHg), yet few studies have examined the effects of prehypertension on cognitive functioning.Objective: to examine the relationship between BP categories and cognitive functions in middle-aged and older women.Subjects and methods: two hundred and forty-seven women from the Women's Healthy Ageing Project had their BP measured twice, at mean ages 50 and 60 years. Tests of executive function, processing speed and verbal episodic memory were also administered at follow-up. Analyses of co-variance were performed to evaluat..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Lorraine Dennerstein Author

Cassandra Szoeke Author

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Grants

Awarded by Judith Jane Mason and Harold Stannett Williams Memorial Foundation

Funding Acknowledgements

The Women's Healthy Ageing Project (WHAP) was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC), Bayer Healthcare, Piramil Life-Sciences, Ramaciotti Foundation, Brain Foundation, Alzheimer's Association of Australia, USA Alzheimer's Association (IIRG-01-2684), Australian Menopausal Society, Shepherd Foundation, Scobie and Claire McKinnon Foundation, Collier Trust Fund, J.O. & J.R. Wicking Trust, Mason Foundation and the Alzheimer's Association. The Principal Investigator of WHAP (Cassandra Szoeke) is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne.