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Updated: Jul 5, 2026

Evaluation of the Cognitive Performance of Hypertensive Patients with Silent Cerebrovascular Lesions
Published on: April 23, 2021
[Hypertension and cognitive function]
Ignacio Casado Naranjo1, José María Ramírez Moreno
1Unidad de Ictus, Sección de Neurología, Complejo Hospitalario de Cáceres, Cáceres, España. icasadon@meditex.es
Insights
Population aging drives widespread cognitive decline. This review highlights arterial hypertension as a key modifiable risk factor impacting brain health and cognitive function.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Gerontology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
Context:
- Global population aging is increasing the prevalence of cognitive deterioration.
- Current treatments cannot alter the course of progressive cognitive loss.
- Vascular risk factors are increasingly recognized as contributors to cognitive decline.
Purpose:
- To review the impact of arterial hypertension on cognitive function.
- To analyze the pathophysiological mechanisms linking hypertension to cognitive impairment.
- To explore hypertension as a modifiable risk factor for cognitive deterioration.
Summary:
- Arterial hypertension is a prevalent condition with significant implications for cognitive function.
- Hypertension affects cerebral tissues and vessels, contributing to cognitive deterioration.
- Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing interventions.
Impact:
- Highlights arterial hypertension as a critical, modifiable target for preventing cognitive decline.
- Provides updated insights into the pathophysiological links between hypertension and brain health.
- Informs clinical practice and future research on cognitive preservation in aging populations.
Abstract:
Progressive population aging is determining that the spectrum of clinical manifestations of cognitive deterioration reaches epidemic proportions. At the present time, there are not available treatments that can modify the natural history of the different nosologies that determine a progressive lost of cognitive functions. In the last years, several vascular risk factors have been established as risk factors for cognitive deterioration. Arterial hypertension, by its prevalence, possibility of treatment, and control, emerges as a potentially modifiable risk factor for the deterioration of cognitive function. This review updates the knowledge of the impact of arterial hypertension in cognitive function, analyzing its physiopathological consequences in tissues and cerebral vessels with implications in cognitive function.
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