Is blood pressure an important variable in research on aging and neuropsychological test performance?
Article Abstract:
Previous studies have concluded that high blood pressure (hypertension) is associated with lower levels of cognitive functioning. However, these lower levels prove to be insignificant if hypertension is effectively controlled with treatment. The predictive significance of hypertension with regard to cognitive function was examined in a study of 301 individuals (165 women and 136 men) between the ages of 20 to 72 years old. Specifically, three areas were examined: blood pressure values as predictive of neuropsychological test performance over a wide range of blood pressure values; predictive ability of blood pressure within a narrower range of values (normal and borderline); and age and blood pressure interactions. A number of behavioral tests were administered, scores were obtained, and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements were taken. Each one of these three hypotheses were confirmed by the results of the study. It was concluded that blood pressure values are predictive of cognitive function and of performance within a wide range of abnormal or borderline values, and that the negative effects of hypertension are more pronounced in younger subjects. Blood pressure effects on neuropsychological measurements were seen within a range of only slightly abnormal values that did not require treatment; this has important implications for aging research. The results were not changed when hypertension-related complications and medications were considered. The effects of hypertension on the aging process are significant and should be considered in future gerontological research. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1990
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Hypertension and acculturation in elderly Mexican Americans: results from 1982-84 Hispanic HANES
Article Abstract:
Acculturation, the adaptation of an immigrant to the new culture, is associated with the development of certain diseases. Some studies of Mexican Americans have found a higher rate of illness, phobias, alcohol abuse, and unhappiness among those adapting to the new ways in this country. It has also been found that the least acculturated have fewer problems, perhaps as a result of belonging to a close-knit community. It has been proposed that those who take the best from both cultures are better off than those at either extreme. Among elderly Hispanics, socioeconomic status is an important factor in disease. In order to determine the effects of acculturation on heart disease in elderly Mexican Americans, data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES) were analyzed, and found to support the hypothesis that acculturation is a more important predictor of high blood pressure than socioeconomic status. The more acculturated people were, the more likely they were to suffer from high blood pressure. The differences between Mexican American and non-Hispanic white elderly were not due to socioeconomic differences. The implication is that ethnic and cultural determinants (such as chronic stress, and a diet high in sodium and low in potassium) are probably more important than socioeconomic status in the development of high blood pressure. It is possible that there are fewer of the more acculturated elderly who had high blood pressure in the older age group because more of them have died earlier. This would blunt the effects of acculturation. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1990
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Nativity, acculturation, and economic status: explanations of Asian American living arrangements in later life
Article Abstract:
The influences of acculturation, economic status and immigration status on the living arrangements of older unmarried Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and Korean Americans were studied. Multivariate analyses showed that Asian-American women who have migrated to the US since 1965 were more likely to reside in complex households as compared to white women who usually live alone. Chinese- and Filipino-American women were more likely to live with others than those who are more acculturated. Moreover, those who are economically stable usually live independently.
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1993
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