Blood pressure variability in acute ischemic stroke depends on hemispheric stroke location

The relationship between blood pressure (BP) variability and stroke location was examined in 85 patients admitted with acute ischemic stroke. The patients were divided into three groups according to stroke location: right hemisphere (32 patients), left hemisphere (30 patients) and non-localized (23 patients). BP upon admission was 147.94/76.53 +/- 20.72/13.70 mmHg in the right hemisphere group, 151.81/76.10 +/- 25.69/16.23 mmHg in the left hemisphere and 155.23/83.41 +/- 30.45/15.74 in the non-localized group. The left hemisphere group had significantly (p < 0.01) greater variations in systolic and diastolic BP between days 2 and 3 and in systolic BP between days 3 and 4 after stroke compared with the other groups. BP in the left hemisphere group was less stable than in the other two groups. Non-localized patients without pre-existing hypertension had a significantly lower and more stable BP during the week following stroke than non-localized patients with pre-existing hypertension. Non-localized patients with pre-existing hypertension had the highest BP and showed no improvement during the week. Systolic BP tended to be higher and less stable in left hemisphere patients than in right hemisphere, whereas among non-localized ischemic stroke patients BP was higher in those who had a prior diagnosis of hypertension.