Study: Mild Hypertension Protects Mental Ability of Older People

Mild hypertension protects the mental ability of people after age 70, according to a study reported in the October issue of the American Journal of Hypertension.

The findings go against conventional medical wisdom that hypertension accelerates age-related mental decline, according to Dr. Michael Weber, an editor of the American Journal of Hypertension.

Weber said the findings could present a dilemma for physicians in choosing between cardiovascular health and mental health in treating elderly people with high blood pressure.

But until further evidence comes along, Weber advised physicians to keep striving to achieve currently recommended blood pressure treatment goals in their patients.

The study involved 385 men and women. All but 36 had high blood pressure. The participants underwent a battery of cognitive tests. A team of Israeli researchers found that people with uncontrolled high blood pressure who were being treated performed significantly better on the cognitive tests than those with normal blood pressure.

The average blood pressure of the treated patients with uncontrolled high blood pressure was 158.6 over 85.4 mm Hg, well within the hypertension treatment values recommended by the World Health Organization until the 1990s, according to the researchers.

The researchers concluded that the benefits of reduced blood pressure in the elderly entail cognitive costs, noting that practitioners will have to provide their patients with complicated information and help them reach educated decisions regarding their choices.

Other sources: American Journal of Hypertension October 2003; 16:818-826