Cognitive impairment caused by arterial hypertension: from clinical guidelines to practical algorithms

Announcement:

Cognitive impairment in arterial hypertension is a hidden but critical problem that significantly impacts patients' quality of life and places a significant burden on the healthcare system. In this video lecture, Evgeniya Viktorovna Yekusheva Ketevan Sergeevna Meshkova , Associate Professor of the Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Medical Genetics at the Institute of Neurosciences and Neurotechnology at the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, will discuss the importance of following clinical guidelines and timely transitioning to practical algorithms.

In this video you will find answers to key questions:

• Why is the brain the first target in arterial hypertension?

Mechanisms of development of arteriosclerosis and hypertensive angiopathy, making vessels functionally inactive.

• How to avoid missing patients with cognitive impairments in primary healthcare?

Use of simple screening methods: clock drawing test, MMSE and MoCA scales, Schulte tables to assess cognitive status in outpatient settings.

• What is the basis of sequential neuroprotective therapy?

Results of large studies by EPICA and MEMO on the use of the drug Mexidol in patients with cognitive impairment.

• What is the importance of an interdisciplinary approach?

Experts will discuss the patient management algorithm from initial screening to specialized care, criteria for referral to a vascular surgeon upon detection of stenotic processes, and their impact on cognitive function.

This material is a ready-to-use guide for physicians of all specialties, emphasizing that stage 1 hypertension increases the risk of vascular dementia by fourfold, and stage 2 hypertension by sixfold. Understanding these figures transforms daily medical practice, turning routine blood pressure measurement into a critical tool for preventing cognitive impairment and making timely diagnosis and treatment of cognitive impairment a clinical priority that cannot be neglected.