title: Can the Treatment of Hypertension in the Middle-Aged Prevent Dementia in the Elderly?
abstract: Hypertension, one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease, is thought to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of cognitive impairment. Studies have associated hypertension with subjective cognitive failures and objective cognitive decline. Subjective cognitive failures may reflect the early phase of a long pathological process leading to cognitive decline and dementia that has been associated with hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors. The underlying cerebral structural change associated with cognitive decline may be a consequence of the cerebral small-vessel disease induced by high blood pressure and may be detected on magnetic resonance imaging as white matter hyperintensities, cerebral microbleeds, lacunar infarcts or enlarged perivascular spaces. The increasing interest in the relationship between hypertension and cognitive decline is based on the fact that blood pressure control in middle-aged subjects may delay or stop the progression of cognitive decline and reduce the risk of dementia in the elderly. Although more evidence is required, several studies on hypertension have shown a beneficial effect on the incidence of dementia.
authors.affiliation: Hypertension and Vascular Risk Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain. acoca@clinic.ub.es.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coca
authors.affiliation: Hypertension and Vascular Risk Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eila
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Monteagudo
authors.affiliation: Hypertension and Vascular Risk Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doménech
authors.affiliation: Hypertension and Vascular Risk Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Camafort
authors.affiliation: Hypertension and Vascular Risk Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sierra
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D003071:Cognition; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015994:Incidence; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
keywords: Cognitive impairment; Dementia; Hypertension; Silent brain damage