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RecruitingNCT02472028LEOPOLDUpdated Oct 29, 2026

Blood Pressure Reduction to Limit the Evolution of Vascular Brain Lesions in Elderly Individuals

A Phase 4 interventional study of blood pressure lowering algorithm and usual strategy in Cerebrovascular Disorders, sponsored by Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris. Recruiting at 2 sites in France. Open to participants aged 60 Years to 88 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-29.

Sponsored by Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris · Phase 4, Interventional, and Prevention

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Sep 2015; still recruiting 11 years 2 months later.
Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
820
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
60 Years to 88 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of the study is to test the hypothesis of slowing the progression of White Matter Lesions (WML) by lowering blood pressure (BP) in patients with cognitive complaints and a moderate to high grade of WML on brain MRI.

Read the detailed description

SCIENTIFIC BACKGROUND: White Matter Lesions (WML) are cerebrovascular abnormalities discovered on MRI that are associated with an increased risk of dementia. High blood pressure (BP) is a major risk factor for WML. WML are therefore key lesions in the causal chain linking vascular factors and dementia, particularly Alzheimer's disease.

However, it has not been shown that lowering BP could limit the progression of the WML in people with cognitive impairment.

OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis of slowing progression of WML by lowering BP in patients with memory complaints with a moderate to high grade of WML on brain MRI.

STUDY DESIGN: PROBE (Prospective randomized open blinded end-point) trial. Blind reading of both MRI for every patient in each group. After stratified randomization on age, sex and center, patients will be assigned to two strategies:

  • Reinforced Group (RG): enhanced strategy aiming at a systolic BP \<135 mmHg;
  • Usual Group (UG): usual strategy based on the usual routine care.

SAMPLE SIZE: patients will be enrolled (410 in each arm) in 12 Memory Resources and Research Center (CMRR) with access to 1.5 T or more MRI.

CONDUCT OF THE STUDY:

Duration of the inclusion period: 96 months and 2 weeks. Patient participation duration: 36 months + 6 months max Total study duration: 11 years. Clinical and para-clinical evaluation: MRI as part of research at the beginning of the study and before the end of the study at 36 months + 6 months max (primary endpoint); Clinical evaluation of neuropsychological tests at the beginning of the study and yearly ; walking speed measurement single leg stance balance test ; repeated BP measurements; monitoring of neurological signs and symptoms; blood test at the beginning of the study (electrolytes, lipid profiles, fasting blood glucose, if not existing); MRI if not existing for validation of the inclusion criterion and performed in the ordinary course.

02

Conditions studied

  • Cerebrovascular Disorders

Keywords

  • Cerebrovascular Disorders
  • Stroke
  • Antihypertensive Agents
  • Arterial Pressure
  • Memory Disorders
03

In context

Cerebrovascular Disorders

449 studies on the registry are indexed under Cerebrovascular Disorders; 127 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 820 is above the median of 100 across 274 interventional studies indexed under Cerebrovascular Disorders.

Browse Cerebrovascular Disorders studies →

Lead sponsor

Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris is the lead sponsor of 3,592 studies on the registry; 1,033 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
60 Years to 88 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • 60 to 88 years old patients;
  • Patient with cognitive complaint with ≥ 20performed within 6 months prior to enrollment (with or without dementia)
  • Patient with a socio-educational level ≥ 3
  • Presence of hyperintensities of moderate to high grade on the last MRI or old scan (grades C and D on the modified Scheltens scale, grades 2/3 Fazekas).
  • Hypertension defined by a Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) and / or a Diastolic Blood Pressure (DBP) ≥ 140/90 mmHg, treated or not
  • Affiliation to a social security system
  • given, signed consent

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Presence of severe orthostatic hypotension defined as a decrease of 30 mmHg in SBP standing within 3 minutes
  • to MRI (presence of ferromagnetic foreign body (especially some intracranial clips, some heart valves, intraocular foreign bodies, metal prosthesis), subject carrying pacemaker, claustrophobic participants)
  • Severe diseases associated with a of less than 3 months;
  • Major physical impairments that can interfere with the feasibility of the tests (sight, hearing ...)
  • Presence of another dementia different than Alzheimer's disease vascular dementia or mixed dementia,
  • Persons under guardianship;
  • Secondary hypertension: renovascular hypertension, primary aldosteronism, pheochromocytoma ...;
  • Patient already receiving 4 or more antihypertensive drugs at maximum dosage
  • Patient participating in another clinical research study on drug requiring exclusion period
  • severe renal impairment
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(4)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

MMSE and MoCA

Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

Life expectancy

The study doctor’s estimate of how long someone is likely to live. Criteria use it so that people can stay in the study long enough for it to answer its question.

05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
820 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    blood pressure lowering algorithm

    enhanced strategy aiming to reduce systolic blood pressure to \<135 mmHg

    Other: blood pressure lowering algorithm

  • Active comparator
    usual strategy

    usual strategy based on the usual care of routine care

    Other: usual strategy

Interventions

  • Otherblood pressure lowering algorithm

    The treatments used in the "enhanced strategy" arm are those proposed by national (HAS2013, SFHTA2013) and international (ESH 2013) recommendations, according to their Marketing Authorization and Summary of Product Characteristics : Diuretics, beta-blockers, Angiotensin Converting Enzyme inhibitors, Angiotensin Receptor Blockers, Calcium Channel Blockers Throughout the study, choice of drugs in each therapeutic class is left on the investigator's initiative. All drugs of these classes may be used , no specific drug is tested in this study.

    Also known as: enhanced strategy

  • Otherusual strategy

    The implementation of antihypertensive therapy the current recommendations to reach the blood pressure target in usual care. Throughout the study, choice of drugs in each therapeutic class is left on the investigator's initiative. Combinations of different pharmacological classes can be tested in order to find the most effective and best tolerated combinations.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. The main criterion is based on the quantitative assessment of White Matter Lesions (WML) volumes at the beginning and at the end of the study for each patient and each arm of the trial. The WML volume from the final MRI is compared to that of the initial

    Time frame: 36 months + 6 months max

Secondary outcomes

  1. Imaging criteria : changes in the number of large or confluent WML

    Time frame: 36 months+ 6 months max

  2. Imaging criteria : changes in the volume of WML depending on their location (periventricular and deep white matter)

    Time frame: 36 months+ 6 months max

  3. Imaging criteria : changes in the number of silent infarctus

    Time frame: 36 months+ 6 months max

  4. Imaging criteria : changes in the number of microbleeds

    Time frame: 36 months+ 6 months max

  5. Imaging criteria : evolution of brain volumes (gray matter, white matter, CSF, and regional volumes including hippocampus)

    Time frame: 36 months+ 6 months max

  6. Clinical criteria: clinical criteria (changes in neuropsychological tests

    Time frame: 36 months

  7. Clinical criteria: changes inwalking speed

    Time frame: 36 months

  8. Clinical criteria: number of incident cases of dementia

    Time frame: 36 months

  9. Number of incident cases of vascular events validated by an expert committee

    Time frame: 36 months

  10. Clinical criteria: total mortality by cause

    Time frame: 36 months+ 6 months max

07

Study locations

1 of 2 sites recruiting
  • Memory for Research and Resources Center / Neuroscience pole
    Bordeaux, Pellegrin Hospital Group 33076, France
    Not yet recruiting
  • Memory Resources Centre and South of Ile de France Search - Broca Hospital
    Paris, 75013, France
    Recruiting
08

Updates

1 registry update since Sep 25, 2026
Minor edits
Nothing that changes what the study is or who can join. Edited: verification date
1 update, last Oct 29, 2026
Show all 1 update
  1. Oct 29, 2026
    Minor edits only
    + 1 other change: verification date

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02472028
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Jun 15, 2015
Start date
Sep 2015
Primary completion
Sep 11, 2028 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 11, 2028 (estimated)
Last update
Oct 29, 2026

Study contacts

Olivier HANON, MD, PhD
Contact
olivier.hanon@brc.aphp.fr
33 1 44 08 35 02
Christophe TZOURIO, MD, PhD
Contact
christophe.tzourio@u-bordeaux.fr
Christophe TZOURIO, MD, PhD
study director · Inserm U897 - Bordeaux University
Olivier HANON, MD, PhD
principal investigator · Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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