Home › Research › Risk factors
Hypertension, Neurovascular Dysfunction, and Cognitive Impairment
Santisteban MM, Iadecola C, Carnevale D.. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979), 2022-09-21
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Hypertension affects a significant proportion of the adult and aging population and represents an important risk factor for vascular cognitive impairment and late-life dementia. Chronic high blood pressure continuously challenges the structural and functional integrity of the cerebral vasculature, leading to microvascular rarefaction and dysfunction, and neurovascular uncoupling that typically impairs cerebral blood supply. Hypertension disrupts blood-brain barrier integrity, promotes neuroinflammation, and may contribute to amyloid deposition and Alzheimer pathology. The mechanisms underlying these harmful effects are still a focus of investigation, but studies in animal models have provided significant molecular and cellular mechanistic insights. Remaining questions relate to whether adequate treatment of hypertension may prevent deterioration of cognitive function, the threshold for blood pressure treatment, and the most effective antihypertensive drugs. Recent advances in neurovascular biology, advanced brain imaging, and detection of subtle behavioral phenotypes have begun to provide insights into these critical issues. Importantly, a parallel analysis of these parameters in animal models and humans is feasible, making it possible to foster translational advancements. In this review, we provide a critical evaluation of the evidence available in experimental models and humans to examine the progress made and identify remaining gaps in knowledge.
Key findings
- Hypertension affects a significant proportion of the adult and aging population and represents an important risk factor for vascular cognitive impairment and late-life dementia.
- The mechanisms underlying these harmful effects are still a focus of investigation, but studies in animal models have provided significant molecular and cellular mechanistic insights.
Why it matters
This review states that hypertension is an important risk factor for vascular cognitive impairment and late-life dementia, and that it may contribute to amyloid deposition and Alzheimer pathology. It notes that whether adequate blood pressure treatment prevents cognitive decline remains an open question, and that mechanisms are still being investigated in animal models.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Risk factors, ranked →
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Hypertension: journal h-index 369 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2023 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 280 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 56.0 citations a year over 5 year(s) since 2023 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 14.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 8 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 250 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Daniela Carnevale: h-index 34 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Weill Cornell Medicine: institution h-index 1,163 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 36129176) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.122.18085
- PubMed: 36129176
- Original source →
- Free full text: Hypertension →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Santisteban, M. M., Iadecola, C., & Carnevale, D. (2023). Hypertension, Neurovascular Dysfunction, and Cognitive Impairment. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979). https://doi.org/10.1161/hypertensionaha.122.18085
Vancouver
Santisteban MM, Iadecola C, Carnevale D. Hypertension, Neurovascular Dysfunction, and Cognitive Impairment. Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979). 2023. doi:10.1161/hypertensionaha.122.18085. PMID: 36129176.
BibTeX
@article{santisteban2023-36129176,
author = {Santisteban, M. M. and Iadecola, C. and Carnevale, D.},
title = {{Hypertension, Neurovascular Dysfunction, and Cognitive Impairment}},
journal = {Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)},
year = {2023},
doi = {10.1161/hypertensionaha.122.18085},
pmid = {36129176},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1161/hypertensionaha.122.18085}
}
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here. Showing 12 of 22.
Later studies that cite this one
8 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references.
Related studies in Risk factors
Also tagged “cerebral”
900 studies in the library carry the topic tag “cerebral”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 900 tagged studies.