Effects of hypertension and diabetes mellitus on cognitive functioning: A profile analytic approach

Research studies have demonstrated a relationship between several cardiovascular risk factors and decreased performance on cognitive tasks. In particular, recent research has suggested a strong effect of hypertension and diabetes mellitus on neuropsychological performance, particularly in certain cognitive domains, in both cognitively normal and demented individuals. Findings have been mixed, however, with some studies showing significant effects and others demonstrating none. Despite widely differing methodologies, all previous studies have had one thing in common: the examination of mean-group differences in performance on individual cognitive tests. The current study, conversely, investigated possible differences in neuropsychological profiles across several cognitive measures between cognitively normal individuals with and without hypertension and/or diabetes, as well as between individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease with or without either condition. While effects of hypertension and diabetes on cognitive functioning were found in specific cognitive domains, current analyses did not find overall profile differences.