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The blood-brain barrier (BBB) constitutes the complex anatomic and physiologic interface between the intravascular compartment and the central nervous system, and its integrity is paramount for the maintenance of the very sensitive homeostasis of the central nervous system. Arterial hypertension is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. The BBB has been shown to be disrupted in essential hypertension. BBB integrity is important for central autonomic control and this may be implicated in the pathophysiology of hypertension. On the other hand, evidence from experimental studies indicates that BBB disruption can be present in both hypertensive disease and dementia syndromes, suggesting a possibly key position of loss of BBB integrity in the pathophysiological pathways linking arterial hypertension with cognitive decline. Although much still remains to be elucidated with respect to the exact underlying mechanisms, the discovery of novel pathological pathways has changed our understanding of adult dementia and central nervous system disease overall, pointing out-in parallel-new potential therapeutic targets. The aim of this review is to summarize current scientific knowledge relevant to the pathophysiologic pathways that are involved in the disruption of the BBB function and potentially mediate hypertension-induced cognitive impairment. In parallel, we underline the differential cognition-preserving effect of several antihypertensive agents of similar blood pressure-lowering capacity, highlighting the presence of previously under-recognized BBB-protective actions of these drugs.

The effects of systemic hypertension on left ventricular function have been well described, as has been the response of the resulting alterations to antihypertensive treatment. However, hypertension effects on the right ventricle (RV) have not been sufficiently investigated; only in recent years, with the development of new imaging modalities, has its importance become widely recognized. Indeed, evidence from clinical trials suggestive of RV functional and structural impairment early in the course of arterial hypertension continues to accumulate. Newer imaging techniques, especially speckle-tracking-derived myocardial deformation imaging, have provided new insights into the effect of systemic hypertension on this previously neglected cardiac chamber. Two- and three-dimensional echocardiography, along with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, forms the cornerstone of RV structural and functional assessment. This article provides an overview of the effect of longstanding hypertension on RV structure and function, the respective underlying mechanisms, and the potential therapeutic implications. It summarizes the available options for RV structural and functional assessment, and evaluates the existing evidence with respect to RV alterations in hypertensive disease, aiming to assess the current limits of scientific knowledge about a heart chamber that has only recently become the focus of greater interest.