title: Factors influencing acute blood pressure values in stroke subtypes.
abstract: The aim of this prospective observational study was to determine the association of acute blood pressure values with independent factors (demographic, clinical characteristics, early complications) in stroke subgroups of different aetiology. We evaluated data of 346 first-ever acute (<24 h) stroke patients treated in our stroke unit. Casual and 24-h blood pressure (BP) values were measured. Stroke risk factors and stroke severity on admission were documented. Strokes were divided into subgroups of different aetiopathogenic mechanism. Patients were imaged with CT-scan on admission and 5 days later to determine the presence of brain oedema and haemorrhagic transformation. The relationship of different factors to 24-h BP values (24-h BP) was evaluated separately in each stroke subgroup. In large artery atherosclerotic stroke (n=59), history of hypertension and stroke severity correlated with higher 24-h BP respectively. In cardioembolic stroke (n=87), history of hypertension, stroke severity, haemorrhagic transformation and brain oedema were associated with higher 24-h BP, while heart failure with lower 24-h BP. History of hypertension and coronary artery disease was related to higher and lower 24-h BP, respectively, in lacunar stroke (n=75). In patients with infarct of undetermined (n=57) cause 24-h BP were mainly influenced by stroke severity and history of hypertension. An independent association between higher 24-h BP and history of hypertension and cerebral oedema was documented in intracerebral haemorrhage (n=68). In conclusion, different factors influence acute BP values in stroke subtypes of different aetiology. If the clinical significance of these observations is verified, a differentiated approach in acute BP management based on stroke aetiology may be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Alexandra Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. vemmosk@ath.forthnet.gr
authors.forename: K N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Vemmos
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spengos
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tsivgoulis
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zakopoulos
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Manios
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kotsis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daffertshofer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vassilopoulos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010343:Patient Admission; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed