Abstract
The aim of the study was to determinate the impaired cognitive function in elderly patients with uncontrolled hypertension. We analyse the cognitive status in hypertensive patients who were aged more than 65 year old. To evaluate cognitive function we used Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE). Eighty-six hypertensive patients were included, 44 women and 42 men, mean age 67.4±4.4 years. Mean systolic BP was 164.42±12.43 mmHg, mean diastolic BP 96.22±6.16 mmHg and pulse pressure 68.19±13.01mmHg. According to the grade of hypertension 20.9% were patients with mild hypertension (grade 1) according to the OMS criteria; 60.5% moderate hypertension (grade 2) and 18.6% severe hypertension (grade 3). Other cardiovascular risk factors were, 19.8% smokers, 45.3% hyperlipidemics, 17.4% diabetics and 7% presents a history of cardiovascular disease. The values observed in MMSE was 22-35 with a mean 31.27±3.6 and median 32. Only 8% patients showed MMSE < 25. The patients with mild hypertension presents a higher values of MMSE than patients with moderate and severe hypertension. We found a negative correlation between values of MMSE and values of systolic BP, r= - 0.316, p= 0.003, values of diastolic BP, r= - 0.269, p= 0.012, and the age of the patients, r = - 0.316, p=0.001. No significant correlation was observed with pulse pressure and heart rate. We conclude that only 8% of patients shows a deterioration of cognitive status, showed by MMSE, in that old population, with no control of BP. However, a relationship between MMSE and blood pressure could be shown. The severity of the hypertension and higher BP, shows a decreased cognitive function.
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