The effects of hypertension and sleep disorders on dementia

• Main Author: Lim, Cheryl
• Other Authors: Tan Chin Hong
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Social sciences::Psychology
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/151010
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Hypertension and sleep disorders have been described to be major risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia, and based on past research, sleep disorders may contribute to the connection between hypertension and dementia through certain underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. However, little is known about whether sleep disorders actually increase the effects of hypertension on cognitive decline, or provide a pathway through which hypertension affects cognition and dementia. It is hypothesized that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (RBD), and insomnia would 1) interact with hypertension to worsen clinical dementia status, 2) interact with hypertension to accelerate clinical decline over time, and 3) mediate the effect of hypertension on clinical status. Using data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) database, non-demented participants with normal cognition or mild cognitive impairment at baseline were evaluated. The results indicate that RBD moderates the effects of hypertension on clinical dementia status, while the general presence of a sleep disorder moderates the effects of hypertension on clinical decline over time differentially across participant groups. Notably, OSA also mediates the relationship between hypertension and clinical status. These findings highlight the need for more detailed research on the links between hypertension and sleep disorders in influencing future cognitive impairment and dementia. This study also warrants a greater emphasis on OSA in particular as a potential target for treatment and dementia prevention in hypertensive patients.