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Blood pressure control and risk of stroke: a population-based prospective cohort study

Cairu Li1, Gunnar Engström, Bo Hedblad

  • 1Department of Community Medicine, Malmö University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden. cairu.li@smi.mas.lu.se

Stroke
|March 5, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Poor blood pressure control is common in treated hypertension patients, leading to a significantly higher stroke risk. Improving hypertension management could prevent many strokes in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Adequate blood pressure (BP) control is crucial for preventing strokes.
  • Hypertension affects a significant portion of the adult population, necessitating effective management strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between the quality of blood pressure control and stroke risk.
  • To determine if hypertension control relates to patient background characteristics.

Main Methods:

  • A population-based cohort study in Malmö, Sweden, involving 27,936 adults aged 45-73.
  • Follow-up for stroke incidence over a mean period of 6 years.
  • Controlled BP defined as <140/90 mm Hg in treated hypertensive individuals.

Main Results:

  • 60% of the cohort had hypertension; 23% received treatment.
  • Among treated hypertensives, 88.2% had uncontrolled BP (≥140/90 mm Hg).
  • Crude stroke incidence was 705/100,000 person-years in treated hypertensives with uncontrolled BP versus 289/100,000 in controlled BP; uncontrolled BP accounted for ~45% of strokes in treated hypertensives.

Conclusions:

  • Uncontrolled blood pressure is highly prevalent among patients receiving pharmacological treatment for hypertension.
  • Over 90% of strokes in treated hypertensive patients occurred in those with uncontrolled BP.
  • Effective hypertension management is vital for preventing a substantial number of first-ever strokes.
Abstract

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