Adherence to treatment, arterial stiffness and cognitive function in irbesartan-treated newly diagnosed hypertensive patients.

OBJECTIVE Non-adherence to antihypertensive agents leads to reduced blood pressure (BP) control. Data supporting the correlation of adherence with arterial stiffness (AS) are few. Furthermore, the causal relationship between AS and cognitive dysfunction (CO/DY) has not been clearly established. It is suggested that angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) exhibit the lowest discontinuation rate among antihypertensive drugs. DESIGN AND METHODS We followed up patients receiving monotherapy with irbesartan. CO/DY was assessed with Mini Mental State Examination (MΜSE) and other tests. RESULTS Patients [n=77; mean age: 56±11 years; 39 men (50.6%)] were followed-up for 16.1±10.9 months. At the end of follow up, significant reductions were observed in mean peripheral systolic BP (135±117 vs 153±11 mmHg; p<0.005), mean peripheral diastolic BP (85±11 vs 95±10 mmHg; p<0.005), mean central systolic BP (130±11 vs 142±12 mmHg; p<0.005) as well as in mean central diastolic BP (85±8 vs 95±97 mmHg; p<0.005). AS indices [carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and augmentation index] also improved significantly: 7.7±1.4 vs 8.2±1.4 m/sec (p<0.005), and 29.1±8.3 vs 32.3±9.1 (p<0.005), respectively. At the end of the study a significant improvement was observed in the MMSE test (29.7±0.7 vs 29.2±0.9; p<0.02), as well as a significant reduction in 24h urine albumin (94±82 vs 204±112 mg/24h, p<0.005). The level of adherence was high in 60/77 (77.9%), medium in 9/77 (11.6%) and low in 8/77 (10.38%) patients. CONCLUSIONS Hypertensive patients receiving mono-therapy with an ARB showed reduced AS, cognitive improvement, significant reductions in BP (peripheral and central) and decreased 24h urinary albumin excretion.