Cognition and vascular endothelial function in hypertensive individuals with and without a history of Covid-19: A Cross-Sectional Study

Patients with systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) are at higher risk of developing a more severe course of SARS-CoV-2 viral infection, in addition to potentially developing lasting cognitive sequelae. Current literature provides evidence that the mechanism underlying the worse outcome of COVID-19 and the emergence of cognitive impairments in hypertensive individuals is endothelial dysfunction. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is a technique that has been used for several decades to assess endothelial function. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of COVID-19 exposure on the cognitive status and endothelial function of patients with SAH. Methodology: A cross-sectional study compared cognitive status, assessed through neuropsychological tests, and endothelial function, assessed through FMD, in 52 patients diagnosed with SAH who were previously exposed or not to mild forms of COVID-19. Patients were allocated into two groups: SAH with COVID-19 exposure (SAH _{EXP_COVID} ) and SAH without COVID-19 (SAH). Assessment was documented between six months and eighteen months post-infection. Results: No difference in FMD% was observed between the studied groups (p=0.69): for the SAH group, FMD% was 6.7 and for the SAH _{EXP_COVID} group, FMD% was 5.4. No differences in cognitive performance were observed when comparing the groups, nor was there a relationship between cognition and endothelial function. Conclusion: There was no difference in endothelial and cognitive function between hypertensive patients infected or not by the SARS-CoV-2 virus with the mild form of the disease.