Risk of cognitive impairment increased by progressive cerebral small vessel disease
High blood pressure has been linked to an increased risk for dementia, but what’s unclear is what kinds of subtle negative changes take place in the brain that may affect cognitive function. Finding new ways to detect minor types of cognitive impairment may help determine who is at risk for early-stage dementia.
In this study, researchers looked at 345 men and women with a median age of 65 who had high blood pressure. Patients underwent brain imaging scans, were tested in cognitive function areas including execution, memory and attention, and were followed for about four years. Patients’ average blood pressure during follow-up was 144.5/76.5 mm Hg. The American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology 2017 hypertension guidelines revised the definition of hypertension and classified it as a blood pressure reading of 130/80 mm Hg instead of 140/90.
To understand what was going on in the brain, researchers looked at the brain’s white matter. White matter is important because it connects different regions of the brain, serving as a kind of infrastructure. Specifically, researchers looked at periventricular white matter, located in the central part of the brain. Periventricular white matter acts as a bridge between distant brain regions and serves an important role in cognitive function. Lesions or abnormalities found in periventricular white matter could signal cognitive impairment.