Long-term lowering of blood pressure after carotid and vertebrobasilar ischemic stroke

We followed up 107 patients experiencing a first-ever ischemic stroke after having been affected by essential hypertension for at least one year, in order to analyze the phenomenon of post-stroke blood pressure lowering. Of the 82 patients still surviving after three months of follow-up, 44 (54%) had normal arterial blood pressure values. There were no significant differences between these normotensive patients and the 38 with high blood pressure in terms of cerebrovascular risk factors or disability, but blood pressure normalized in 34 of the 54 patients experiencing a carotid stroke (63%) and in only 10 of the 28 experiencing vertebrobasilar stroke (36%) (p=0.035). These data may offer a starting point for further studies of the neurogenesis of arterial hypertension.

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Sommario Al fine di analizzare il fenomeno della normalizzazione della pressione arteriosa dopo ictus cerebrale in pazienti prima ipertesi, abbiamo osservato 107 soggetti con primo ictus ischemico, che erano già precedentemente affetti da ipertensione arteriosa da almeno un anno. Degli 82 (77%) sopravvissuti a tre mesi di follow-up, 44 (54%) hanno mostrato una normalizzazione della pressione arteriosa. L'incidenza di fattori di rischio per malattia cerebrovascolare e disabilità grave non è risultata significativamente diversa nel gruppo degli ipertesi rispetto ai normotesi. Tuttavia la normalizzazione della pressione arteriosa è stata osservata in 34 dei 54 pazienti con ictus carotideo (63%) e solo in 10 dei 28 con ictus vertebrobasilare (36%) (p=0.035). Riteniamo che tali dati offrano uno spunto per ulteriori ricerche sulla genesi neurogena dell'ipertensione arteriosa essenziale.

     

脑梗死急性期降压治疗对预后的影响

目的 研究脑梗死急性期降压及在不同时间进行降压治疗对患者近期预后的影响.方法 据发病后是否降压及进行降压的时间,将198例急性脑梗死患者分为6组,观察各组患者神经功能缺损程度及心脑血管事件的再发生率和病死率.结果 在发病后进行降压治疗的患者中其心脑血管事件再发率和病死率明显低于未降压组（P＜0.01） 3d后降压组患者神经功能恢复的程度明显好于未降压组（P＜0.01）.结论 降压治疗可以降低患者心脑血管事件的发生率和病死率3d后进行降压治疗的患者神经功能恢复明显要好.     

Circadian blood pressure variation after acute stroke.

We aimed to characterise the patterns of circadian blood pressure (BP) variation after acute stroke and determine whether any relationship exists between these patterns and stroke outcome. BP was recorded manually every 4 h for 48 h following acute stroke. Patients were classified according to the percentage fall in mean systolic BP (SBP) at night compared to during the day as: dippers (fall > or = 10-<20%); extreme dippers (> or = 20%); non-dippers (> or = 0-<10%); and reverse dippers (<0%, that is, a rise in mean nocturnal SBP compared to mean daytime SBP). One hundred and seventy-three stroke patients were included in the study (83 men, 90 women; mean age 74.3 years). Four patients (2.3%) were extreme dippers, 25 (14.5%) dippers, 80 (46.2%) non-dippers and 64 (36.9%) reverse dippers. There was a non-significant trend in the proportion of patients who were dead or dependent at 3 months in the extreme dipper (p=0.59) and reverse dipper (p=0.35) groups. Non-dipping and reverse-dipping were relatively common patterns of circadian BP variation seen in acute stroke patients. These patterns were not clearly associated with outcome.     

血压水平对急性缺血性卒中预后的影响

目的　探讨血压水平对急性缺血性卒中 (Acute ischemic stroke,AIS)神经功能缺损恢复的影响。方法　将 2 0 6例 AIS患者随机分为 A、B、C3组 ,并均在发病后 72 h内给予治疗。A组和 C组分别予生脉注射液和复方丹参注射液静滴 ,B组在 A组治疗的基础上加服洛汀新降血压治疗。观察各组患者的血压变化、中国卒中量表(CSS)评分和神经功能缺损症状加重的病例数。结果　治疗后 A组的平均血压明显高于 C组 (P<0 .0 0 1)。 3组患者治疗后的 CSS评分均较治疗前有明显改善 (P<0 .0 0 1) ,但 3组间比较在统计学上无显著性差异 (F=2 .6 34,P>0 .0 5 )。B组患者神经功能缺损加重例数明显多于 A组 ,两组间差异显著 (χ2 =4 .972 8,P<0 .0 5 )。A、B、C3组总体不良反应分别为 33.3%、30 .3%和 33.8% ,3组之间无显著性差异 (P>0 .0 5 )。结论　在 AIS急性期降压治疗可增加神经功能缺损症状恶化的风险。生脉注射液可减缓急性期后的血压下降 ,且与复方丹参注射液一样安全、有效。关于急性期提高血压与临床疗效之间的关系尚有待于进一步研究。     

Effects of blood pressure lowering in the acute phase of total anterior circulation infarcts and other stroke subtypes

BACKGROUND: Lowering of blood pressure (BP) in the acute phase of stroke is reported both to worsen and to improve the outcome. To investigate whether heterogeneity exists between stroke subtypes in the response to BP lowering, we analysed data from the Intravenous Nimodipine West European Stroke Trial (INWEST). METHODS: INWEST enrolled acute ischaemic stroke patients within 24 h (n = 295) to the following groups: placebo (n = 100), 1 mg/h nimodipine (n = 101) or 2 mg/h nimodipine (n = 94). Patients were retrospectively classified as total anterior circulation infarct (TACI) (i.e. hemiparesis + hemianopia + dysphasia) and non-TACI (exclusion of any one of these). Main outcome measures were neurological (Orgogozo) and functional (Barthel) scores at day 21. RESULTS: 106 patients were labelled as TACI and 62 as non-TACI. No significant difference in BP was observed between the TACI and non-TACI subtypes at baseline, nor did the subtypes differ in BP course within the treatment groups. A higher proportion of non-TACI patients received postrandomisation antihypertensive agents in addition to the study drug compared with TACI patients (55% non-TACI vs. 26% TACI, p < 0.005). For TACI patients, there was no outcome difference between the placebo- and nimodipine-treated groups. For non-TACI patients, placebo had a significantly better neurological (p = 0.004) and functional (p = 0.04) outcome than the high-dose nimodipine group. In multivariate analysis for TACI patients, BP reduction and nimodipine treatment had no relation with outcome. Baseline stroke severity (p < 0.005) was the only significant predictor of the outcome at day 21. For non-TACI patients, diastolic BP (DBP) reduction (p = 0.03) and nimodipine treatment (p = 0.001) were related to neurological deterioration and nimodipine treatment (p = 0.01) to functional deterioration. Systolic BP reduction was associated with neurological (p < 0.005) and functional improvement (p = 0.01). Baseline stroke severity (p < 0.005) was related to both neurological and functional outcome. CONCLUSION: BP lowering and nimodipine treatment had no significant effect on outcome for TACI patients. For non-TACI patients, DBP lowering worsened the neurological outcome and high-dose nimodipine worsened both the neurological and functional outcome.     

Effect of intravenous nimodipine on blood pressure and outcome after acute stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Intravenous Nimodipine West European Stroke Trial (INWEST) found a correlation between nimodipine-induced reduction in blood pressure (BP) and an unfavorable outcome in acute stroke. We sought to confirm this correlation with and without adjustment for prognostic variables and to investigate outcome in subgroups with increasing levels of BP reduction. METHODS: Patients with a clinical diagnosis of ischemic stroke (within 24 hours) were consecutively allocated to receive placebo (n=100), 1 mg/h (low-dose) nimodipine (n=101), or 2 mg/h (high-dose) nimodipine (n=94). The correlation between average BP change during the first 2 days and the outcome at day 21 was analyzed. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-five patients were included in this analysis (n=92, 93, and 80 for placebo, low dose, and high dose, respectively). Nimodipine treatment resulted in a statistically significant reduction in systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) from baseline compared with placebo during the first few days. In multivariate analysis, a significant correlation between DBP reduction and worsening of the neurological score was found for the high-dose group (beta=0.49, P=0. 048). Patients with a DBP reduction of > or =20% in the high-dose group had a significantly increased adjusted OR for the compound outcome variable death or dependency (Barthel Index <60) (n/N=25/26, OR 10. 16, 95% CI 1.02 to 101.74) and death alone (n/N=9/26, OR 4.336, 95% CI 1.131 16.619) compared with all placebo patients (n/N=62/92 and 14/92, respectively). There was no correlation between SBP change and outcome. CONCLUSIONS: DBP, but not SBP, reduction was associated with neurological worsening after the intravenous administration of high-dose nimodipine after acute stroke. For low-dose nimodipine, the results were not conclusive. These results do not confirm or exclude a neuroprotective property of nimodipine.     

The correlation between testosterone and stroke and the mediating role of blood pressure: The Henan rural cohort study

AimsWe aimed to investigate the association of serum testosterone with stroke and calculate the proportion explained by blood pressure on this association.Materials and methodsA total of 6175 subjects were included in this study. Serum testosterone was quantified by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry. The logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between serum testosterone and stroke. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the associations of serum testosterone with blood pressure. In addition, mediation analysis was performed to identify the mediation effects of blood pressure on the association of serum testosterone with stroke. Sex-stratified analysis was employed throughout the research.ResultsAfter adjusting for multiple variables, serum testosterone levels were negatively associated with stroke in males (per 1 unit natural log‐transformed, odds ratio (OR) = 0.81, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69-0.94; Tertile 3 vs Tertile 1, OR = 0.65, 95% CI:0.44-0.96). Furthermore, blood pressure played a partial mediating role in the relationship between testosterone and stroke in males. The indirect effect/total effect of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure were 7.37%, 9.54% and 9.22%, respectively. Notably, the relationship between testosterone and stroke and the role of blood pressure in regulating them was not observed in females.ConclusionThis study describes that in rural Chinese males, testosterone can reduce the risk of stroke by affecting blood pressure. To some extent, we provide a new epidemiological evidence for the relationship between testosterone and stroke.     

The time course and determinants of blood pressure within the first 48 h after ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous research suggests that blood pressure falls acutely after ischemic stroke. We aimed to further characterize this fall with a statistical technique that allows the application of regression techniques to serial blood pressure outcome data. METHODS: In a prospectively recruited ischemic stroke cohort, systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure was recorded every 4 h until 48 h after stroke. Potential determinants of blood pressure, including stroke severity and acute infection, were also recorded. Mixed effects models were used to model serial blood pressure measurements over time, adjusted for significant determinants. RESULTS: In 156 patients, SBP and DBP fell by 14.9 mm Hg (95% CI 6.2-22.6 mm Hg) and 6.2 mm Hg (95% CI 1.4-10.6 mm Hg), respectively, over the first 48 h after stroke. SBP was higher in patients with premorbid hypertension, a previous history of stroke or TIA, current alcohol use, increasing age, stroke of mild to moderate severity (NIHSS 3-13) and in patients treated with antihypertensives. SBP was lower in smokers. There was a progressive rise in SBP in patients with acute infection. No factors other than time were associated with DBP. CONCLUSIONS: The use of mixed effects models has identified a linear SBP and DBP fall over the first 48 h after stroke. The timing and magnitude of this fall should be accounted for in the design of future prognostic and intervention studies.     

急性缺血性卒中机械取栓术前后血压及其变异性与预后关系的 研究进展

机械取栓术是治疗急性缺血性卒中和大血管阻塞的有效方式之一。血压是影响机械取栓 预后的重要因素。虽然目前国内外已有大量研究提示机械取栓术前后血压过高或过低与不良预后有关, 但是机械取栓术前后血压的管理目标值仍没有统一的规范化方案,大多为经验性治疗。现主要对急性 缺血性卒中机械取栓术前后的血压及其变异性对预后功能的影响进行了综述,旨在为机械取栓术前后 血压管理提供一定参考。     

Ambulatory blood pressure before and after adenotonsillectomy in children with obstructive sleep apnea

IntroductionHypertension is found to be associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in both children and adults. But data on the effect of blood pressure after adenotonsillectomy (AT) for children with OSA are limited and controversial.ObjectiveTo assess the impact of AT on different parameters of 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in children with OSA.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed records of OSA children who had undergone AT and a repeated sleep polysomnography after AT from 2001 to 2008.ResultsForty-four children were identified and included in the analysis. The mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) dropped from 14.14 ± 15.9 to 3.3 ± 7.1. (p < 0.001). Twenty (45%) were cured of OSA. After AT, the diastolic BP load decreased significantly. Six out of eight (75%) hypertensive children became normotensive after surgery. For the pre-AT hypertensive group, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly during sleep after AT. However, eight children who were normotensive before AT became hypertensive after AT. These 10 post-AT hypertensive patients were more likely to have post-AT AHI > 1 than the post-AT normotensive group, although the difference did not reach statistical significance.ConclusionIn the current cohort of OSA children, 44% were cured of OSA and a significant decrease in overall diastolic blood pressure load in 24-h ambulatory blood pressure was achieved after adenotonsillectomy for children with OSA. But hypertension may persist or even occur in those previously normotensive children despite the improvement in AHI. Persistence of OSA may be a risk factor and further study is required. Cure of OSA should not be assumed after AT and follow-up PSG should be performed together with 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. In light of the current findings, long term study of the blood pressure is warranted for children with OSA.     

The value of self-measured home blood pressure in predicting stroke

Home blood pressure measurements more accurately and reliably reflect target organ damage and the prognosis of cardiovascular disease than conventional blood pressure measurements. All evidence of the value of home blood pressure measurement in predicting stroke is currently derived from a population-based prospective study in Japan (the Ohasama study). The authors demonstrated that home blood pressure measurement provides more useful prognostic information on stroke than conventional blood pressure measurements. The predictive value of home blood pressure measurement increased progressively with the number of measurements. Even the initial-first home blood pressure values (one measurement) showed a significantly greater relation with stroke risk than conventional blood pressure values (mean of two measurements). Home blood pressure measurement increased the predictive power of categorizations of guidelines compared with conventional blood pressure measurement. Home blood pressure measurement is a useful tool to predict future risk of stroke.