BACKGROUND: Adolescent hypertension predicts hypertension and increased cardiovascular
morbidity in adulthood. The aim of the present work was to test whether cerebrovascular
reactivity to CO2 is altered among hypertensive adolescents. METHODS: From the population-based
cohort of the Debrecen Hypertension Study, 113 hypertensive and 58 normotensive adolescents
underwent transcranial Doppler measurements at rest and after 30 seconds of breath
holding. RESULTS: Systolic, mean, and diastolic blood flow velocities were higher
among hypertensive individuals at rest. Taking the absolute blood flow velocity parameters
into account, after breath holding, only the pulsatility index was significantly higher
in the hypertensive group. The percentage change of the different blood flow parameters
showed less intensive change in hypertensive teenagers. CONCLUSION: Cerebral vasoreactivity
is decreased among hypertensive individuals as compared to healthy controls.
