Role of cerebral blood flow pulsatility in hypertension related brain damage

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Completed

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 50

Inclusion Criteria

Patients with essential hypertension
(HTN):

- Essential hypertension (defined as an ambulant blood pressure of >= 130 over
80 mmHg)
- Age 30-90 years,

Normotensive subjects
(NT):

- Normotensive (ambulant blood pressure of <130 over 80
mmHg)
- Age 30-90 years

Exclusion Criteria

Patients with essential hypertension (HTN):

- Indication of history-taking, physical examination or routine laboratory
tests of secondary
hypertension
- Chronic renal insufficiency (eGFR<30 mL/min)
- Diabetes mellitus
- Ischemic or valvular heart disease or electrocardiographic evidence of atrial
fibrillation
- Carotid endarterectomy (CEA): high-grade stenosis > 50%
- Hemorrhagic stroke
- Body Mass Index > 32 kg/m²
- Inability to provide informed consent
- Any contraindication for MRI: metallic implants, pacemaker, claustrophobia,
pregnancy, tattoos,
permanent make-up.
- Contraindications for the gadolinium-containing contrast agent: allergic
reaction, eGFR<30
mL/min ,

Normotensive subjects (NT):
- Indication of history-taking, physical examination or routine laboratory
tests of secondary
hypertension
- Chronic renal insufficiency (eGFR<30 mL/min)
- Diabetes mellitus
- Ischemic or valvular heart disease or electrocardiographic evidence of atrial
fibrillation
- Carotid endarterectomy (CEA): high-grade stenosis > 50%
- Hemorrhagic stroke
- Body Mass Index > 32 kg/m²
- Inability to provide informed consent
- Any contraindication for MRI: metallic implants, pacemaker, claustrophobia,
pregnancy, tattoos,
permanent make-up.
- Contraindications for the gadolinium-containing contrast agent: allergic
reaction, eGFR<30
mL/min

Study & Design

Study Type: Observational invasive

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>- To determine the difference between the intracerebral blood flow pulsatility<br /><br>(in the MCA and LSA) of patients with hypertension and normotensive subjects. </p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>- To determine the association between hypertension, blood pressure load,<br /><br>cerebral pulsatility and cSVD severity in terms of white matter hyperintensity<br /><br>volume, number of enlarged perivascular lesions, deep infarcts, and cerebral<br /><br>microbleeds.<br /><br><br /><br>- To determine the relation between cerebral blood flow pulsatility, blood<br /><br>pressure and BBB permeability.<br /><br><br /><br>- To determine the association between cerebral blood flow pulsatility and<br /><br>brain perfusion.<br /><br><br /><br>- To determine the relation of the condition of the microcirculation in the<br /><br>retina and cerebral small vessel blood flow in patients with hypertension. </p><br>