Brain damage link to hypertension revealed by new imaging technique

Research presented recently at the American Heart Association’s 2015 High Blood Pressure Conference (16 – 19 Sept; Washington DC, USA) has revealed, through a novel imaging technique, that some individuals suffering from high blood pressure also exhibit nerve tract damage within the brain. “We already have clear ways to explore the damage high blood pressure can cause to the kidneys, eyes, and heart. We wanted to find a way to assess brain damage that could predict the development of dementia associated with vascular diseases,” explained Daniela Carnevale (Sapienza University of Rome, Italy), the study’s senior author. Using a technique termed...