White matter lesions and hippocampal atrophy are associated with cognitive and behavioral and psychological symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease and hypertension.

Abstract

An increasing evidence suggests that hypertension (HTN) could be linked to cognitive impairment and incident Alzheimer's disease (AD). The precise mechanisms linking HTN and AD are not well-known. The objective of this study was to assess the putative association between HTN and AD. We studied in a sample of about one hundred patients with AD the relationship between HTN and demographic data, cognitive function, behavioral and psychological symptoms, vascular risk factors, treatments, APOE genotypes, brain white matter hyperintensities (WMH), and hippocampal atrophy (HA). Patients with HTN had significantly worse cognitive and functional status and higher frequency and severity of behavioral and psychological symptoms (p<0.01). Magnetic resonance imaging analyzes showed significant increases in WMH (p<0.05) and in HA (p<0.01) in patients with AD with HTN compared with those without HTN. Neuroimaging burden (HA and higher degree of severity of WMH) among patients with AD and HTN are associated with the impaired cognitive function and behavioral and psychological symptoms.