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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 with patients receiving monotherapy with irbesartan. CO/DY was assessed with the 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 : 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 : 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 : 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.

The incidence of hypertension (HTN) and its cardiovascular (CV) complications are increasing throughout the world. Blood pressure (BP) control remains unsatisfactory worldwide. Medical inertia and poor adherence to treatment are among the factors that can partially explain, why BP control rate remains low. The introduction of a method for measuring the degree of adherence to a given medication is now a prerequisite. Complex treatment regimes, inadequate tolerance and frequent replacements of pharmaceutical formulations are the most common causes of poor adherence. In contrast, the use of stable combinations of antihypertensive drugs leads to improved patient adherence.:We aim to review the relationships between arterial stiffness, cognitive function and adherence to medication in patients with HTN.:Large artery stiffening can lead to HTN. In turn, arterial stiffness induced by HTN is associated with an increased CV and stroke risk. In addition, HTN can induce disorders of brain microcirculation resulting in cognitive dysfunction. Interestingly, memory cognitive dysfunction leads to a reduced adherence to drug treatment. Compliance with antihypertensive treatment improves BP control and arterial stiffness indices. Early treatment of arterial stiffness is strongly recommended for enhanced cognitive function and increased adherence.