According to new research, intensive blood pressure treatment can significantly lower the risk of adverse cerebrovascular events such as stroke.
This study is a follow-up analysis of the Systolic Blood Pressure Interventional Trial (SPRINT), a multicentre clinical trial that compared intensive systolic blood pressure control (target less than 120 mm Hg) versus standard control (target less than 140 mm Hg).
Sprint enrolled participants aged 50 or older with hypertension and without diabetes or a history of stroke.
This study was carried out in collaboration between UT Health San Antonio and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
Corresponding author Mohamad Habes, says: “Our study demonstrates that lowering systolic blood pressure to below 120 mm Hg is more effective in preserving brain health compared to standard treatment goals.”
Habes notes that patients that received intensive blood pressure treatment displayed reduced white matter lesions in frontal and posterior deep white matter, as well as improved blood flow, which indicates overall better brain health.
Furthermore, Habes states that white matter lesions are among the changes that can be linked with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as non–Alzheimer’s disease cognitive impairment and advanced brain ageing.
Tanweer Rashid, PhD, of the Biggs Institute’s neuroimage analytics laboratory and neuroimaging core, highlights that this study shows that intensive blood pressure treatment can slow down vascular brain injury, which has the potential to contribute to the preservation of cognitive function in older adults.
Rashid, says: “Our study shows that specific areas have greater benefit, representing sensitive regions to track in future trials evaluating small-vessel disease.”
The study’s authors do note that the paper acknowledges the need for further research, in order to determine the optimal blood pressure targets and treatment strategies for various population groups and to also assess potential side effects of intensive blood pressure treatment.
