# SPRINT MIND 2020

> **NIH NIH R01** · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2022 · $1,360,139

## Abstract

SPRINT MIND 2020
 Project Summary
Thus far only one strategy to postpone age-related cognitive impairment has proven to be effective in a
randomized controlled trial: the intensive SBP lowering intervention in SPRINT. While the Systolic Blood
Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) demonstrated a positive effect of intensive blood pressure control for
lowering rates of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), results were not conclusive for probable dementia. The
estimated reduction in risk for probable dementia was in the same direction and of the same magnitude as for
MCI (19% p=0.008) but the hazard ratio estimate for probable dementia was not statistically significant (17%,
p=0.10). Uncertainty surrounding the effect on dementia, as opposed to MCI, could be addressed by
conducting another trial, but changes in the BP guidelines make it doubtful that another large scale trial in US
adults will examine the cognitive impact of treating SBP in older persons to <120 mm Hg versus <140 mm Hg.
Therefore, additional follow-up of the SPRINT cohort provides a unique opportunity for testing hypotheses on
how blood pressure control affects cognitive function. Some of the expected follow-up on cognitive function
was curtailed when the trial intervention was stopped early, but SPRINT ASK funded an additional assessment
that made the total length of follow-up consistent with the original SPRINT design. However, SPRINT ASK fell
short of ascertaining the number of cases needed for a definitive test of the effect on probable dementia. This
renewal proposal will obtain an additional follow-up assessment and address important questions related to
lower SBP goals. We will attempt to assess every SPRINT participant who we have consent to contact starting
in 2020. The assessments will be conducted via the telephone-based approach that was successful in ASK
and by face-to-face visits. The telephone-based cognitive test battery, which has been previously validated
and used in other cohort studies and clinical trials of cognition, will be supplemented with an in-person battery.
A finding of benefit for probable dementia in addition to MCI would greatly strengthen the clinical message on
the potential for treatment of hypertension to prevent cognitive decline. Alternatively, a finding of no impact on
all-cause dementia, or a decreased effect on MCI would also provide important evidence to inform clinical
decision-making. In either case, the SPRINT cohort is uniquely placed for a low cost opportunity to determine
efficacy of therapy for BP lowering for improving cognitive health in our aging population.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10418795
- **Project number:** 5R01AG055606-04
- **Recipient organization:** WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** David M Reboussin
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,360,139
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-06-15 → 2024-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10418795

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10418795, SPRINT MIND 2020 (5R01AG055606-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10418795. Licensed CC0.

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