AD and BP

Blood Pressure Reduction and Alzheimer's Disease

-Study examines nilvadipine and cerebral blood flow, showing increased, safe flow to hippocampus

by Vicki Brower , CME Writer, MedPage Today June 23, 2019

CME Author: Vicki Brower

Study Authors: Daan L. K. de Jong, Rianne A. A. de Heus, et al.

Target Audience and Goal Statement:

Neurologists, geriatricians, cardiologists, internists, family medicine specialists

The goal of this study was to determine whether blood pressure reduction with antihypertensive medication could affect cerebral blood flow, in particular, to the hippocampus and posterior cingulate cortex, in patients with Alzheimer clinical syndrome in a mild-to-moderate stage of dementia.

Questions Addressed:

• Can the calcium channel blocker nilvadipine increase cerebral blood flow (CBF) in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD)?
• What parts of the brain are affected by lowering of blood pressure?
• What effect does this have on cerebral autoregulation?

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