The Effect of Age on the Association Between Blood Pressure and Cognitive Function Later in Life

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prospective relationship between blood pressure (BP) and cognitive function across a wide age range. DESIGN: Prospective population‐based cohort study. SETTING: The Rotterdam Study and the Leiden 85‐plus Study. PARTICIPANTS: Three thousand seventy‐eight men and women, initial age 55 to 84 from the Rotterdam Study and 276 men and women, initial age 85, from the Leiden 85‐plus Study. MEASUREMENTS: Systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were measured at baseline, cognitive function was assessed at the end of follow‐up using a dedicated neuropsychological test battery. The association between baseline BP levels and cognitive function later in life was assessed in 10‐year age groups in the Rotterdam Study and in 85‐year‐olds of the Leiden 85‐plus Study. RESULTS: In the youngest participants (