A Comparative Study to assess the level of Cognitive function among hypertensive and normotensive elderly in selected areas of district Mohali, Punjab

Abstract

Aging is a normal, universal and inevitable change. Elders usually exhibit multiple health problems with complex interactions. High blood pressure refers to the pressure of blood against your artery walls. Hypertension is a major health problem that is common in older adults. After decades of observational research, there's general agreement that high blood pressure in middle age is a risk factor for later-life cognitive decline, including overall cognition, memory, and processing speed. The aim of the study is to assess the level of cognitive function among hypertensive and normotensive elderly in selected areas of district Mohali, Punjab. A quantitative research approach with comparative research design was adopted. By purposive sampling technique 50 hypertensive and 50 normotensive elderly were selected. The data was collected by interview schedule using RUDAS scale to assess the cognitive level among the hypertensive and normotensive elderly. Cognitive function among hypertensive elderly indicated that the majority 72% of them exhibited with mild impairment, whereas 18% of the subjects had demonstrated normal intellectual functioning ability. When the results are compared with the normotensive, it has been found that 82% of elderly normotensive having normal cognitive functioning, and 18% having mild impairment. Association between cognitive function and demographic variables of hypertensive elderly revealed that there was significant association between cognitive functioning with their age and years of usage of antihypertensive (P < 0.05), whereas no significant association was with rest of the variables. There was no significant association between cognitive function and demographic variables of normotensive elders.