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Impact of Hypertension on Cognitive Function: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
Iadecola C, Yaffe K, Biller J, Bratzke LC, Faraci FM, Gorelick PB, Gulati M, Kamel H et al.. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979), 2016-10-10
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Age-related dementia, most commonly caused by Alzheimer disease or cerebrovascular factors (vascular dementia), is a major public health threat. Chronic arterial hypertension is a well-established risk factor for both types of dementia, but the link between hypertension and its treatment and cognition remains poorly understood. In this scientific statement, a multidisciplinary team of experts examines the impact of hypertension on cognition to assess the state of the knowledge, to identify gaps, and to provide future directions. Methods Authors with relevant expertise were selected to contribute to this statement in accordance with the American Heart Association conflict-of-interest management policy. Panel members were assigned topics relevant to their areas of expertise, reviewed the literature, and summarized the available data. Results Hypertension disrupts the structure and function of cerebral blood vessels, leads to ischemic damage of white matter regions critical for cognitive function, and may promote Alzheimer pathology. There is strong evidence of a deleterious influence of midlife hypertension on late-life cognitive function, but the cognitive impact of late-life hypertension is less clear. Observational studies demonstrated a cumulative effect of hypertension on cerebrovascular damage, but evidence from clinical trials that antihypertensive treatment improves cognition is not conclusive. Conclusions After carefully reviewing the literature, the group concluded that there were insufficient data to make evidence-based recommendations. However, judicious treatment of hypertension, taking into account goals of care and individual characteristics (eg, age and comorbidities), seems justified to safeguard vascular health and, as a consequence, brain health.
Key findings
- Results Hypertension disrupts the structure and function of cerebral blood vessels, leads to ischemic damage of white matter regions critical for cognitive function, and may promote Alzheimer pathology.
- Observational studies demonstrated a cumulative effect of hypertension on cerebrovascular damage, but evidence from clinical trials that antihypertensive treatment improves cognition is not conclusive.
- Conclusions After carefully reviewing the literature, the group concluded that there were insufficient data to make evidence-based recommendations.
Why it matters
This scientific statement concludes that midlife hypertension has a harmful influence on late-life cognitive function, but that evidence from clinical trials that antihypertensive treatment improves cognition is not conclusive. It does not establish that treating hypertension prevents or cures Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on institution's track record, so that was left out: it earned 50 of the 97 points we could judge it on, which is 52 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Hypertension: journal h-index 369 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2016 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 739 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 61.6 citations a year over 12 year(s) since 2016 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 52.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 18 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 200 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Adina Zeki Al Hazzouri: h-index 35 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 0 institution(s) in 0 countries — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 27977393) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 50 / 97 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 50 of the 97 points we could judge it on is 52 out of 100. |
| Total | 52 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1161/hyp.0000000000000053
- PubMed: 27977393
- Original source →
- Free full text: PubMed Central →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Iadecola, C., Yaffe, K., Biller, J., Bratzke, L. C., Faraci, F. M., Gorelick, P. B., et al. (2016). Impact of Hypertension on Cognitive Function: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979). https://doi.org/10.1161/hyp.0000000000000053
Vancouver
Iadecola C, Yaffe K, Biller J, Bratzke LC, Faraci FM, Gorelick PB, et al. Impact of Hypertension on Cognitive Function: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979). 2016. doi:10.1161/hyp.0000000000000053. PMID: 27977393.
BibTeX
@article{iadecola2016-27977393,
author = {Iadecola, C. and Yaffe, K. and Biller, J. and Bratzke, L. C. and Faraci, F. M. and Gorelick, P. B. and Gulati, M. and Kamel, H. and others},
title = {{Impact of Hypertension on Cognitive Function: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association}},
journal = {Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)},
year = {2016},
doi = {10.1161/hyp.0000000000000053},
pmid = {27977393},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1161/hyp.0000000000000053}
}
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