Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Real-Time Monitoring and Modulation of Blood Pressure in a Rabbit Model of Ischemic Stroke
Published on: February 10, 2023
Blood pressure level and outcomes in adults aged 65 and older with prior ischemic stroke
Robert C Kaplan1, David L Tirschwell, W T Longstreth
1Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA. rkaplan@aecom.yu.edu
Objectives:
To examine the association between blood pressure (BP) levels and long-term stroke outcomes in elderly stroke survivors.
Design:
Observational study.
Setting:
The Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) of 5,888 community-dwelling adults.
Participants:
Two hundred fifty-four adults aged 65 and older (mean age 78.6) who sustained a nonfatal first ischemic stroke.
Measurements:
BP levels assessed at prestroke and poststroke CHS visits were examined as predictors of stroke recurrence, coronary heart disease (CHD), combined vascular events (CVEs), and mortality.
Results:
Higher poststroke BP level, assessed 261.6 days (mean) after stroke, was associated with higher risk of stroke recurrence over 5.4 years (mean) of follow-up. The multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio for stroke recurrence was 1.42 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03-1.99) per standard deviation (SD) of systolic BP (P = .04) and 1.39 (95% CI = 1.01-1.91) per SD of diastolic BP (P = .04). Mortality was significantly greater in patients with low or high poststroke BP than in those with intermediate BP. Poststroke BP was not associated with risk of CHD or CVE, although further analyses suggested that high systolic BP predicted CHD and CVE in younger but not older subjects. Prestroke BP did not predict poststroke outcomes.
Conclusion:
In this observational study of adults aged 65 and older assessed approximately 8 months after stroke, low BP was associated with favorable risk of recurrent stroke, although high and low poststroke BP levels were associated with greater mortality. Long-term antihypertensive trials in older stroke survivors would increase knowledge about the benefits of lowering BP in this population.
Related Concept Videos
Pre-Procedural Guidelines for Assessing Blood Pressure
Assessment of blood pressure in brachial artery(one-step method)
Prepare for the Procedure:
Special considerations while measuring blood pressure
Monitoring Both Arms:
Monitoring BP in both arms during the initial assessment is advisable, as the systolic value may differ by five to ten mm Hg between arms. For subsequent BP assessments, use the arm with the higher reading.
Hypertension I: Introduction
Blood Pressure
Blood Pressure
The average BP in an adult is typically around 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). In this measurement, the numerator (120) indicates the systolic pressure, which is the pressure in the arteries during the contraction of the heart's ventricles as blood is expelled. The denominator (80) represents the diastolic...