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Elevated pulse pressure during the acute period of ischemic stroke is associated with poor stroke outcome

Stella Aslanyan1, Christopher J Weir, Kennedy R Lees

  • 1Division of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland. stella_s_aslanyan@hotmail.com

Stroke
|April 10, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Elevated pulse pressure (PP), the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure, is linked to worse outcomes after an ischemic stroke. This finding helps identify stroke patients at higher risk for poor recovery.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Clinical Trials

Background:

  • The predictive value of specific blood pressure components for acute stroke outcomes remains debated.
  • This study investigates whether elevated pulse pressure (PP) independently predicts poor stroke outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the association between elevated pulse pressure and 3-month outcomes in ischemic stroke patients.
  • To clarify the role of PP as a prognostic marker in acute stroke.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 1455 ischemic stroke cases from the GAIN International trial.
  • Utilized Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression, adjusting for multiple clinical and demographic factors.

Main Results:

  • Elevated weighted average PP within 60 hours correlated with increased mortality and poorer scores on Barthel index, NIHSS, and Rankin scales.
  • Elevated baseline PP was associated with worse Barthel index and Rankin scores.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated pulse pressure is an independent predictor of poor stroke outcome at 3 months.
  • PP measurement may aid in risk stratification for ischemic stroke patients.
Abstract

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