The following is a summary of “Blood pressure variability predicts poor outcomes in acute stroke patients without thrombolysis: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” published in the November 2023 issue of Neurology by Chen et al.
Stroke is a significant health issue, and blood pressure is a crucial treatable risk factor. Blood pressure variability (BPV) is linked to stroke, but its exact impact on stroke patient outcomes is not fully understood.
Researchers sought to examine the association between blood pressure variability and prognosis in acute stroke patients.
They searched Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library for full-text English-language articles from inception (1 January 2023). This analysis included stroke patients aged ≥ 18 years, and there were no restrictions on stroke types.
The results showed that elevated systolic BPV is linked with an increased risk of poor outcomes, including functional disability, mortality, early neurological deterioration, and stroke recurrence, in acute stroke patients without thrombolysis. Increased diastolic blood pressure variability is linked to a higher risk of mortality and functional disability.
Investigators concluded that BPV emerged as a novel and clinically relevant risk factor for stroke patient outcomes.
Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-023-12054-w
