The Relationship between Hypertension and Cognitive Function among Korean Older Adults: The Moderating Role of Regular Exercise

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the moderating effect of regular exercise on the relationship between hypertension and cognitive function among Korean older adults. Drawn from the 2018 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA), a total of 6,536 subjects aged 55 and older who responded to all the variables examined in this study were included in analyses. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine moderating effects of regular exercise on the relation between hypertension and cognitive function. After adjustment for covariates, older adults with hypertension reported better cognitive function and those doing regular exercise showed better cognitive function than their counterparts. The interaction between hypertension and regular exercise was significant only for those doing regular exercise(p<.01). The findings highlight the importance of regular exercise as an intervention for mitigating the association between hypertension and cognitive decline.