Top Things to Know: High Blood Pressure and Cerebral White Matter Lesion Progression in the General Population
Published: March 25, 2013
- Brain white matter lesions (WMLs) occur at a high rate in the elderly.
- WMLs are believed to be of vascular origin, but the exact etiology is unknown.
- This longitudinal, population-based study followed the development or progression of WMLs over 10 years in an elderly population with various ranges of BP control.
- The aim of this study was to understand how systolic BP, diastolic BP, and pulse pressure related to the progression of WMLs.
- Standard MRI protocols were used to define the presence and progression (measured in volume) of WMLs over time. Baseline MRIs determined “WML load.”
- For participants in this study, hypertension was defined as systolic BP >140 and diastolic BP > 90.
- High systolic and diastolic BPs both were found to contribute to progression of WMLs in this general population.
- Uncontrolled and untreated hypertension showed the highest burden of the development or progression of WMLs.
- The lowest volume of WML was seen in normotensive elderly participants.
- Concerted treatment of uncontrolled hypertension in this study implies the slowing of the WML progression.
Citation
Benjamin F.J. Verhaaren, Meike W. Vernooij, Renske de Boer, Albert Hofman, Wiro J. Niessen, Aad van der Lugt, and M. Arfan Ikram High Blood Pressure and Cerebral White Matter Lesion Progression in the General Population / Novelty and Significance Hypertension. 2013;61:1354-1359, published online before print March 25 2013, doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.111.00430.
http://hyper.ahajournals.org/lookup/doi/10.1161/hypertensionaha.111.00430