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ICP and Antihypertensive Drugs
Charlotte Rouzaud-Laborde1, Pierre Lafitte2, Laurent Balardy3
1Department of Pharmacy, University Hospital Toulouse, Toulouse, France. laborde.c@chu-toulouse.fr.
Insights
Antihypertensive drugs may increase brain stiffness, as patients on these medications showed higher elastance and lower pressure volume index. The number of drugs did not significantly alter other intracranial pressure parameters.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Nephrology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Arterial hypertension is a major mortality risk factor, often managed with multiple antihypertensive drugs.
- The complex relationship between arterial blood pressure and intracranial pressure (ICP) is not fully understood.
- The specific effects of antihypertensive medications on ICP and related parameters remain largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of antihypertensive drug use on ICP and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/brain parameters.
- To determine if the number of antihypertensive drugs correlates with changes in ICP-derived metrics.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 95 patients with suspected normal pressure hydrocephalus.
- Collected drug data using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification.
- Performed lumbar infusion studies and used ICM+ software to calculate ICP, pulse amplitude, CSF outflow resistance, elastance, sagittal sinus pressure, and CSF production rate.
Main Results:
- Patients on antihypertensive drugs exhibited significantly higher brain elastance compared to non-medicated individuals.
- The pressure volume index (PVI) was significantly decreased in patients using antihypertensive drugs.
- No significant influence of the number of antihypertensive drugs on other ICP parameters was observed.
Conclusions:
- Antihypertensive drug use is associated with increased brain stiffness.
- Patients on antihypertensive medications may have altered brain pressure-volume dynamics.
Objectives:
Arterial hypertension is among the leading risks for mortality. This burden requires in hypertensive patients the use of single, double or more antihypertensive drugs. The relationship between intracranial pressure (ICP) and arterial blood pressure is complex and still under debate. The impact of antihypertensive drugs on ICP is unknown. We wanted to understand whether the use of antihypertensive drugs has a significant influence on ICP and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/brain related parameters.
Materials And Methods:
In a cohort of 95 patients with suspected normal pressure hydrocephalus, we prospectively collected drug details according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification. Lumbar infusion studies were performed. Using ICM+ software, we calculated at baseline and plateau ICP and pulse amplitude, resistance to CSF outflow, elastance, and pressure in the sagittal sinus and CSF production rate. We studied the influence of the administration of 1, 2, 3 or more antihypertensive drugs on ICP-derived parameters. We compared the data using Student's and Mann-Whitney tests or Chi-squared and Fisher's exact test.
Results:
Elastance is significantly higher in patients with at least one antihypertensive drug compared with patients without medication. On the contrary, pressure volume index (PVI) is significantly decreased in patients with antihypertensive drugs compared with patients not on these medications. However, the number of antihypertensive drugs does not seem to influence other ICP parameters.
Conclusions:
Patients on antihypertensive drugs seem to have a stiffer brain than those not on them.
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