[Visual deficit as a marker of cognitive impairment.]

Glaucoma and cataract continue to be the leading causes of visual deficits, especially in older age groups, but the association of visual deficits with cognitive impairments has not been sufficiently studied. The aim of this study is to study visual impairment as a marker of cognitive impairment in patients with cataracts and glaucoma. The study included 326 elderly patients with cataracts and 318 elderly patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. The degree of cognitive impairment was determined using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale. Visual deficit was assessed by visual acuity without correction and maximum corrected visual acuity, and the severity of visual deficit was assessed by the scale we proposed. It was found that with low visual deficit (visual acuity without correction 0,51-0,60 and over 0,61) in the examined patients, the average score on the MMSE scale varied from 28,4±0,6 to 28,7±0,8 points (p>0,05), corresponding to subjective cognitive disorders. However, with a pronounced visual deficit (visual acuity without correction to 0,20 and 0,21-0,30), the average score is 13,9±0,3 and 16,5±0,4 (p<0,001), which indicates moderate dementia. Practically similar patterns about the association of cognitive impairments with the magnitude of visual deficit were also obtained when assessing visual deficit by maximum corrected visual acuity. The associativity of cognitive impairment with visual defect in patients with cataract and glaucoma was confirmed by the correlation method, according to which the correlation coefficient with visual acuity without correction is r=+0,428 (p<0,05), and with maximum corrected visual acuity - r=+0,385 (p<0,05). The results of the study allow us to consider visual deficit as a marker of cognitive impairment.

[Telmisartan chronotherapy and its influence on the indicators of the daily profile blood pressure.]

Arterial hypertension is one of the most common life-threatening diseases, adequate control of which is largely achieved by antihypertensive drugs, including the use of telmisartan. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of telmisartan chronotherapy on the parameters of daily monitoring of blood pressure during the daytime and at night in elderly patients with hypertension. The study is based on a comprehensive examination of 150 patients aged 60-74 years suffering from hypertension, who are divided into 2 groups: the main (n=76) and control (n=74). Patients with hypertension in the main group received telmisartan at a dose of 80 mg/day in the evening (20.00-22.00 hours), and in the control group - in the morning at the same dose (80 mg/day). Before treatment, after 3 months and after 6 months, patients of both groups underwent daily monitoring of blood pressure with the «BPLab monitor Mn SDP-3¼. It was found that the evening intake of telmisartan at a dose of 80 mg/day has a more significant effect than the morning intake of the same dose of telmisartan on the indicators of daily monitoring of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in the evening, the systolic blood pressure time index in the evening. Chronotherapy with telmisartan in elderly patients with hypertension more effectively normalizes the daily blood pressure profile with the transfer of «non-dipper¼ to «dipper¼, reduces the hypertensive load and contributes to the achievement of target blood pressure levels.