Age of Hypertension Onset: Potential for Improving Risk Estimation and Hypertension Management?

Age of hypertension onset and cognitive function in the elderly: an observational study from the NHANES 2011-2014

PURPOSE

This study aims to evaluate the association between age of hypertension onset and cognitive function in a representative sample of US older adults.

METHODS

We assessed 2334 elderly adults (including 1655 hypertensive patients) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014. We used the age when the participants were first informed by the doctor that they had hypertension or were first clinically diagnosed with hypertension as the age of onset of hypertension. The Digit Symbol Substitution test (DSST), the Animal Fluency test, the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's disease (CERAD), and a composite-z score calculated by summing z-scores from these three individual tests, were used to assess cognitive function.

RESULTS

Participants with hypertension onset age < 35 years (early onset hypertension) had the worst performance in almost all cognitive tests, followed by those with onset age ≥ 65 years. Compared with those without hypertension, early onset hypertension was associated with - 4.15 (95% CI - 6.63, - 1.68), - 1.10 (95% CI - 2.08, - 0.12), - 0.75 (95% CI - 1.91, 0.42), and - 0.56 (95% CI - 0.94, - 0.19) scores for DSST, animal fluency test, CERAD, and composite z-score. Participants with early onset hypertension (onset age < 35 years) had higher odds for cognitive decline defined by DSST (OR: 3.28, 95% CI 1.94, 5.54) and composite z-score (OR: 1.77, 95% CI 1.07, 2.92).

CONCLUSIONS

Early onset hypertension was associated with the worst performance in cognitive function and an increased odds of cognitive decline in the elderly.

Hypertension Induces Pro-arrhythmic Cardiac Connexome Disorders: Protective Effects of Treatment

Prolonged population aging and unhealthy lifestyles contribute to the progressive prevalence of arterial hypertension. This is accompanied by low-grade inflammation and over time results in heart dysfunction and failure. Hypertension-induced myocardial structural and ion channel remodeling facilitates the development of both atrial and ventricular fibrillation, and these increase the risk of stroke and sudden death. Herein, we elucidate hypertension-induced impairment of "connexome" cardiomyocyte junctions. This complex ensures cell-to-cell adhesion and coupling for electrical and molecular signal propagation. Connexome dysfunction can be a key factor in promoting the occurrence of both cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure. However, the available literature indicates that arterial hypertension treatment can hamper myocardial structural remodeling, hypertrophy and/or fibrosis, and preserve connexome function. This suggests the pleiotropic effects of antihypertensive agents, including anti-inflammatory. Therefore, further research is required to identify specific molecular targets and pathways that will protect connexomes, and it is also necessary to develop new approaches to maintain heart function in patients suffering from primary or pulmonary arterial hypertension.