Neuropsychological test performance, cognitive functioning, blood pressure, and age: The framingham heart study

Abstract

Interactions of three indices of blood pressure (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and chronicity of hypertension) and age-cohort membership were examined for a sample of 1,695 stroke-free participants of the Framingham Heart Study, ages 55–88 years. Blood pressure level and chronicity of hypertension were assessed over five biennial examinations performed between 1956 and 1964, a time when few hypertensives were being treated, and were related to neuropsychological tests administered between 1976 and 1978. Multiple linear regression methods were used to examine Age × Blood Pressure (or Chronicity of Hypertension) interactions in alternative analyses involving three age groups (55–64 years, 65–74 years, and 75–88 years) and age as a continuously distributed variable (age in years). Interactions were either statistically nonsignificant or trivial with respect to magnitude of effect. This was true when interaction terms (Age X Blood Pressure Level or Age X Chronicity of Hypertension) were controlled for blood pressure, age, education, occupation, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, gender, and antihypertensive treatment. The Age X Blood Pressure model as it pertains