Correlation of diastolic blood pressure and signs of cognitive dysfunction in essential hypertension.

Abstract

A significant positive relationship was obtained between degree of diastolic hypertension and frequency of errors made on a psychological test sensitive to cognitive dysfunction in a sample of essential hypertensives. The significance of the relationship, (a) was obtained in spite of a small sample size and (b) persisted even after the possible confounding variables of age and IQ were statistically eliminated. These findings imply that essential hypertension may result in cognitive impairment as well as damage to other organ systems.