Hypertension Causes Worse Cognitive Function in Patients With Alzheimer Disease

Hypertension is associated with worse cognitive function and hippocampal glucose metabolism in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD), according to a recent study.

Previous research has suggested that cardiovascular disease risk factors like hypertension may be associated with sporadic AD. It has also been established that hypertension is associated with cerebrovascular disease and vascular dementia on the basis of vascular remodeling. However, less is known about the mechanisms that link hypertension and AD.
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In their study, the researchers evaluated 197 patients with AD with (n = 97) and without (n = 100) hypertension. The majority of patients were men, and mean patient age was 75.8 years. Patient data was obtained via the Alzheimer Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Database.

To further explore the mechanisms that may link hypertension and AD, the researchers assessed potential associations between hypertension and clinical, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and imaging markers of AD pathology.

Results of the study indicated that patients with AD and hypertension demonstrated worse cognitive function and higher neuropsychiatric symptom burden compared with those without hypertension. Additionally, patients with AD and hypertension showed reduced glucose hypometabolism in the right hippocampus. However, the researchers observed no differences in magnetic resonance imaging volumetric measurements, florbetapir uptakes, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid between patients with AD with and without hypertension.

“Although hypertension is associated with worse cognitive function, behavioral symptoms, and hippocampal glucose hypometabolism, it is not associated with evidence of increased amyloid or tau pathology,” the researchers concluded. “Effective management of hypertension may potentially have a therapeutic role in the alleviation of symptoms in AD.”

—Christina Vogt

Reference:

Moonga I, Niccolini F, Wilson H, Pagano G, Politis M; Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Hypertension is associated with worse cognitive function and hippocampal hypometabolism in Alzheimer’s disease [Published online July 28, 2017]. Eur J Neurol. doi:10.1111/ene.13374.