ANTIHYPERTENSIVE THERAPY DOES NOT AFTER C EREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW VELOCITIES UNDER RESTING CONDITIONS

The effect of antihypertensive treatment for 12 weeks with one of thre e medications (beta-Blocker, calcium channel blocker, or diuretic vers us placebo) on blood flow velocities in extra- and intracranial arteri es were investigated in 71 patients suffering from hypertension. Evalu ation of blood flow velocities was performed for extracranial arteries with a duplex sonography system and for intracranial arteries with a pulsed transcranial Doppler. Under resting conditions all measured flo w velocities as well as flow patterns and turbulences in the bulbus of the carotid bifurcation remained unchanged throughout the trial despi te effective reduction of blood pressure in the verum groups. This may indicate that patients with hypertension have intact cerebral autoreg ulation.