Hypertension and Brain Damage

The second edition of this book explores different aspects of the relationship between hypertension and brain damage, providing readers with up-to-date information that will be of interest to clinicians and researchers alike. In recent years, numerous studies have been published that have added new evidence on different aspects of the disease. New recommendations and the latest hypertension guidelines on stroke and dementia will be described in this edition, which will include not only updated content but also new chapters on aspects that have recently emerged in relation to hypertension and brain damage. After an introductory chapter on the epidemiology and burden of neurological disease induced by hypertension, the significance of various comorbidities that represent risk factors for brain damage in the context of hypertension is discussed. The effects of hypertension on small and large cerebral arteries and the consequences on brain damage are then examined in detail. Similarly, the association between hypertension and ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack and haemorrhagic stroke is explored in depth, and the evidence and guidelines for reducing hypertension during the acute phase of each form of stroke are summarised. Both primary and secondary prevention of stroke are addressed, with the results of major studies presented. The reader will also find interesting new perspectives on the role of different imaging techniques, including CT and functional MRI, in detecting and diagnosing brain damage in patients with hypertension. The concluding chapters examine the relationship between hypertension and cognitive decline and dementia associated with hypertension, its pathophysiology, the detection of cognitive impairment in daily practice, and its prevention and treatment.