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Hypertension in middle-aged women linked to dementia
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Women who develop hypertension in their 40s had higher risk for developing dementia later in life, according to new data.
“High blood pressure in midline is a known risk factor for dementia, but these results may help us better understand when this association starts, how changes in blood pressure affect the risk of dementia and what the differences are between men and women,” Rachel A. Whitmer, PhD, of the Kaiser Permanente division of research, said in a press release.
Whitmer and colleagues studied 5,646 participants (3,095 women) from the Kaiser Permanente Northern California health care system who had BP measurements and examinations from 1964 to 1974 (mean age, 33 years) and 1978 to 1985 (mean age, 44 years) and were members as of January 1996 (mean age, 59 years). Participants were followed up for diagnosis of dementia for an average of 15.3 years until September 2015.
Hypertension was determined based on BP measurements from the first two exams and change in BP category.
In their 30s, 21.96% of participants had hypertension (31.2% of men and 14.35% of women). In their 40s, 21.52% of participants had hypertension (25.28% of men and 18.42% of women).
During follow-up, 9.4% of participants were diagnosed with dementia.
Having hypertension in one’s 30s was not associated with an increased risk for being diagnosed with dementia, Whitmer and colleagues wrote.
After adjustment for demographics, compared with those with normal BP, having hypertension in one’s 40s was associated with increased risk for dementia in women (adjusted HR = 1.65; 95% CI, 1.25-2.18) but not in men (aHR = 1.13; 95% CI, 0.83-1.55).
Women who developed hypertension in their 40s had increased dementia risk compared with those who had stable normal BP in mid-adulthood (aHR = 1.73; 95% CI, 1.24-2.4). This association was not seen in men (aHR = 1.08; 95% CI, 0.73-1.6).
“In our analyses, the relationship between hypertension in mid-adulthood (and early adulthood) and dementia risk was present only among women. This is surprising given that previous studies examining midlife hypertension as a risk factor for dementia have found no difference by sex or a stronger association among men,” the researchers wrote. “differences in the age range of participants may partially explain inconsistences across studies.”
Further researcher is needed to understand the pathways that may explain the sex differences found in the study, according to the researchers. by Cassie Homer
Disclosures: Whitmer reports no relevant financial disclosures. One author reports he is a consultant for Novartis.
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