Cerebral hemodynamics in young hypertensive subjects and effects of atenolol treatment

• Published in: Journal of the neurological sciences 1998-07, Vol.159 (1), p.115-119
• Main Authors: Troisi, Elio, Attanasio, Antonio, Matteis, Maria, Bragoni, Maura, Monaldo, Bruno C, Caltagirone, Carlo, Silvestrini, Mauro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Antihypertensive agents; Antihypertensive Agents - therapeutic use; Antihypertensive therapy; Atenolol - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Flow Velocity; Carbon Dioxide - blood; Cardiovascular system; Cerebral Arteries - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Arteries - physiology; Cerebral Arteries - physiopathology; Cerebral blood flow; Cerebrovascular Circulation - drug effects; Cerebrovascular reactivity; Female; Hemodynamics - drug effects; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - drug therapy; Hypertension - physiopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Reference Values; Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial
• ISSN: 0022-510X; 1878-5883
• DOI: 10.1016/S0022-510X(98)00147-6

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in cerebral hemodynamics in young patients with uncomplicated hypertension before and after effective antihypertensive treatment with a beta-blocker drug. Changes in mean flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery from normal condition to hypercapnia were evaluated by means of a transcranial Doppler in 42 hypertensive patients and 21 healthy subjects comparable for age and sex distribution. We obtained hypercapnia with breath-holding and evaluated cerebrovascular reactivity with the breath-holding index (BHI). After a baseline evaluation (time 0), patients were randomly assigned to a placebo (group 1) or atenolol (group 2) therapy. The evaluation was repeated after 30 (time 1) and 60 (time 2) days of treatment. Before treatment, hypertensive patients had significantly lower BHI values (0.96±0.1 group 1 and 0.85±0.3 group 2) than controls (1.69±0.4) ( P