Changes of the carotid intima-media complex thickness and cognitive functions in patients with arterial hypertension

Abstract

Arterial hypertension is one of the most significant medical and social problems. In recent years, numerous studies have demonstrated the role of hypertension as an independent risk factor in the development and progression of cognitive impairment in the general population. At present, the relationship between blood pressure and cognitive impairment has been confirmed in a number of clinical studies. Decline of the cognitive functions is one of the modern medicine actual problem. The study aimed to analyze the relationship between cognitive impairment and subclinical changes in carotid arteries in hypertensive patients. Totally 69 patients with hypertensive disease of II stage with average age of 51.38±0.94 years were examined. Patients were divided into 2 groups with absence and presence of cognitive impairment. The control group consisted of 12 healthy, normotensive individuals aged 54.25±2.74, without cognitive impairment. To assess cognitive functions, the Montreal Evaluation Scale (MoCA-test) was used, which is recommended by most modern experts in the field of cognitive impairment for broad use in everyday clinical practice. The average thickness of the intima-media complex in patients of I and II groups was not significantly different. The proportion of people with intima-media complex thickness exceeding normal values was significantly higher in persons with cognitive impairment (71%) than in persons without it (39.5%). In patients with II stage of hypertensive disease, the thickness of the intima-media complex of the carotid artery was increased. A positive correlation of increased thickness of the intimamedia complex with hypertensive crises was found only in patients with cognitive impairment.