title: Relation between blood pressure and stroke mortality.
abstract: The relation between stroke mortality and blood pressure was investigated in 10,186 hypertensive patients followed up in the Department of Health Hypertension Care Computing Project for an average of 9 years. An untreated blood pressure measurement was available in 3,472 men and 3,405 women. The age-adjusted risk of stroke death increased by 1% for every 1 mm Hg increase in untreated systolic blood pressure. The relative hazard rate was 1.014 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.007, 1.021) in men and 1.009 (1.003, 1.016) in women. The corresponding increases for 1 mm Hg for untreated diastolic blood pressure were almost 3% in men and again 1% in women (relative hazard rate 1.026 [95% CI, 1.014, 1.038] in men and 1.010 [1.000, 1.021] in women). Treated blood pressure measurements were available in 3,073 men and 3,148 women. Stroke mortality increased by 2% for a 1 mm Hg increase in treated systolic pressure and 3% for the corresponding increase in diastolic blood pressure. The relation between stroke mortality and blood pressure was similar over and under the age of 65, although the increase in mortality with pressure was greater for treated diastolic blood pressure in women under the age of 65 than over this age. There was no evidence for a J-shaped relation between stroke mortality and either systolic or diastolic pressure in men. In women there was a suggestion of such a relation, but since this relation was also observed for untreated pressures, any increase in risk at lower pressures is unlikely to be a result of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Hammersmith Hospital, London, England.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Bulpitt
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Beevers
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Coles
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ledingham
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: O'Riordan
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Petrie
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Rajagopalan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Webster
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors