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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- High blood pressure not only causes heart trouble; it also makes your thoughts a little fuzzy.
A new study shows Increased blood pressure in older adults has been directly linked to a reduction in cognitive functioning. Therefore, seniors may not be able to think as clearly during stressful events.
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Subjects in the study with an average systolic blood pressure of 130 or higher show a significant decrease in mental capacity when their blood pressure rose; however, those with average or low blood pressure saw no change in cognitive functioning, even when their blood pressure spiked.
Researchers say blood pressure increases in seniors especially impacted their inductive reasoning skills. "Inductive reasoning is important because it is essentially the ability to work flexibly with unfamiliar information and find solutions," Jason Allaire, Ph.D., co-author of the study and an assistant professor of psychology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., was quoted as saying.
SOURCE: Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, December 2008
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