title: Stroke characteristics in patients with pretreated arterial hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arterial hypertension (AH) is one of the most important vascular risk factors for stroke that can be treated. The present retrospective study analyses the influence of pretreated AH on the outcome of patients with ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes, compared to those with normal blood pressure (BP).
  
  
  METHODS
  The demographic features, vascular risk factors, stroke type, stroke severity (according to the National Institutes of Health Stroke scale) and disability (according to the modified Rankin scale) were compared between 806 pretreated hypertensive patients and 320 ones with normal BP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence and the severity of the ischaemic strokes were similar but the outcome was worse in patients with pretreated AH compared to those with normal BP. In the former patients, coronary artery disease and isolated atrial fibrillation were found as confounders on multivariate analysis. The incidence, the severity and the outcome of patients with a haemorrhagic stroke were similar in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The outcome in ischaemic stroke is worse in pretreated AH patients, compared to normotensive ones, probably due to the higher incidence of other associated vascular risk factors. Pretreated AH improves the outcome of patients with a haemorrhagic stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium. dereuck.j@gmail.com
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Reuck
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents