Blood Pressure Variability Linked To Faster Cognitive Decline

Greater visit-to-visit systolic blood pressure variability was associated with accelerated cognitive decline, independent of average blood pressure levels.

A pooled analysis published in Alzheimers & Dementia showed that higher visit-to-visit variability in systolic blood pressure (BP) was associated with faster cognitive decline in adults at elevated cardiovascular risk.

Researchers analyzed data from 11,104 participants enrolled in the SPRINT-MIND and ACCORD-MIND randomized trials. Cognitive performance was assessed using standardized digit symbol tests, while systolic BP variability was calculated from repeated BP measurements obtained over a median follow-up of 3.9 years.

After adjusting for average systolic BP and other clinical factors, every 10% increase in BP variability was associated with an additional annual decline of 0.008 standardized cognitive score units. Participants in the highest tertile of BP variability experienced significantly faster cognitive decline than those in the lowest tertile.

Exploratory analyses suggested that the association was more pronounced among participants receiving intensive BP control, although this interaction was not statistically significant. All measures of BP variability demonstrated a linear relationship with cognitive decline.

The findings suggest that fluctuations in systolic BP may contribute to cognitive deterioration independently of average BP levels, highlighting BP variability as a potential target for preserving brain health in individuals at high cardiovascular risk.

(Source:https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/blood-pressure-variability-linked-cognitive-decline-high-2026a1000qjd?src=)