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Age and Carotid Artery Occlusive Disease Are Important Determinants of Cerebral Blood Flow Changes After Antihypertensive Therapy
Author(s) -
Fagan Susan C.,
Levine Steven R.,
Ewing James R.,
Ramadan N.M.,
Welch K.M.A.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
pharmacotherapy: the journal of human pharmacology and drug therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.227
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1875-9114
pISSN - 0277-0008
DOI - 10.1002/j.1875-9114.1995.tb02865.x
Subject(s) - medicine , cerebral blood flow , cardiology , blood pressure , antihypertensive drug , carotid arteries , blood flow , prospective cohort study , observational study , pharmacotherapy , anesthesia
Study Objective . To determine the short‐term effects of antihypertensive therapy on cerebral blood flow (CBF). Design . Prospective, observational study. Setting . A university‐affiliated teaching hospital. Patients . Twenty‐four patients (age range 53–85 yrs) with chronic hypertension, nine of whom had carotid artery occlusive disease (CAOD). Interventions . The CBF (xenon‐133 inhalation technique) and blood pressure were measured before and at 60 minutes after administration of antihypertensive therapy. Measurements and Main Results . Age was inversely related to the change in CBF in patients with CAOD (p>0.01). In all patients, the change in CBF after taking antihypertensive drugs was significantly inversely associated with baseline CBF (p>0.01). Changes in regional CBF, measured by asymmetry scores, were significantly greater in patients with CAOD than in those without CAOD (p<0.05). Conclusions . Elderly patients with occlusive extracranial cerebrovascular disease are at risk of drug‐induced changes in both mean and regional CBF, and may benefit from a CBF assessment before being prescribed antihypertensive therapy.