24-hour diastolic BP linked to cognitive performance in T2DM

(HealthDay)—Among individuals with type 2 diabetes there is a quadratic association for 24-hour diastolic blood pressure (BP) with information processing speed and memory, according to a study published online May 27 in Diabetes Care.

Peggy J.J. Spauwen, from the Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands, and colleagues examined associations of 24-hour BP and nocturnal dipping status with cognitive performance among participants with and without type 2 diabetes. Data for 24-hour BP were included for 713 participants, of whom 201 had type 2 diabetes; nocturnal dipping status was assessed in 686 participants, of whom 196 had type 2 diabetes.

After full adjustment for confounding variables, the researchers identified quadratic (inverted U-shaped) associations for 24-hour diastolic BP with information processing speed and memory in participants with diabetes, but not in those without. There was no clear pattern for dipping status.

"This study shows that both low and high 24-hour DBP are associated with poorer performance on tests of information processing speed and memory in individuals with type 2 diabetes," the authors write.

The study was partially funded by Novo Nordisk and Sanofi.