Do black individuals’ higher cumulative blood pressure levels contribute to their greater risk of cognitive impairment and dementia compared with white individuals?
Importance Black individuals are more likely than white individuals to develop dementia. Whether higher blood pressure (BP) levels in black individuals explain differences between black and white individuals in dementia risk is uncertain.
Objective To determine whether cumulative BP levels explain racial differences in cognitive decline.
Design, Setting, and Participants Individual participant data from 5 cohorts (January 1971 to December 2017) were pooled from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study, Cardiovascular Health Study, Framingham Offspring Study, and Northern Manhattan Study. Outcomes were standardized as t scores (mean [SD], 50 [10]); a 1-point difference represented a 0.1-SD difference in cognition. The median (interquartile range) follow-up was 12.4 (5.9-21.0) years. Analysis began September 2018.
Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was change in global cognition, and secondary outcomes were change in memory and executive function.