A common health condition that should be monitored to prevent stroke risk

The study, conducted by the University of Michigan Medicine, analyzed average systolic blood pressure years before a first stroke in more than 40,000 adults with no history of stroke.

The researchers studied three types of strokes: the more common ischemic (a clot that cuts off blood flow to the brain), intracerebral hemorrhage, and subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding between the brain and the tissues covering it).

They found that systolic blood pressure 10 mm Hg higher than average was associated with a 20% increased risk of ischemic stroke, as well as a 31% increased risk of intracerebral hemorrhage.

“Our findings suggest that early diagnosis and consistent control of high blood pressure over a lifetime are critical to preventing ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage, particularly in black and Latino patients who are more likely to have uncontrolled hypertension than white patients,” said lead researcher Deborah A. Levine, MD, professor of internal medicine and neurology at the University of Michigan Medical School.

Black patients were 20% more likely to have an ischemic stroke, and 67% more likely to have an intracerebral hemorrhage, compared with white patients.

Hispanic patients also had a 281% higher risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage, but not any other type of stroke.

However, researchers found little evidence that race and ethnicity influence the relationship between systolic blood pressure and the type of stroke likely to occur.

Self-monitoring of blood pressure improves blood pressure diagnosis and control, is accurate and cost-effective, but remains an underused tool, Levine says.

“Healthcare systems should educate and encourage their patients to monitor their blood pressure at home, and reduce their chances of having a stroke,” she added.

The study was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

Source: Medical Express