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Updated: Apr 4, 2026
Real-Time Monitoring and Modulation of Blood Pressure in a Rabbit Model of Ischemic Stroke
Published on: February 10, 2023
[Tight control of blood pressure after ischemic stroke is associated with nocturnal hypotension episodes]
M C Fernandez-Moreno, L Castilla-Guerra1, J M Lopez-Chozas
1Hospital de la Merced, Osuna, Espana.
Insights
Tight blood pressure control after ischemic stroke is linked to more nocturnal hypotension episodes. Aggressively lowering BP in stroke patients, especially the elderly, may not be beneficial.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Neurology
- Hypertension Research
Context:
- Ischemic stroke survivors often require vigilant blood pressure (BP) management.
- The potential risks of intensive BP control, particularly nocturnal hypotension, remain under investigation.
Purpose:
- To determine if tighter BP control in recent ischemic stroke patients is associated with nocturnal hypotension (NHP) episodes.
- To investigate the relationship between BP control adequacy and NHP in post-stroke patients.
Summary:
- This study analyzed 100 ischemic stroke patients, assessing BP control using office and 24-hour ambulatory monitoring.
- Nocturnal hypotension (NHP) episodes were observed in 59% of patients and were more frequent in those with good BP control (88.8%) compared to poor control (52.4%).
- NHP episodes showed an inverse relationship with the number of altered BP parameters, suggesting a link to intensive BP management.
Impact:
- Findings suggest that aggressive BP lowering within normal ranges post-stroke may increase NHP frequency.
- This highlights a potential risk of intensive BP management in stroke patients, particularly the elderly.
- Results may inform clinical guidelines regarding BP targets in post-ischemic stroke care.
Aim:
To evaluate whether a tighter blood pressure (BP) control in patients with recent ischemic stroke is associated with the presence of nocturnal hypotension (NHP) episodes.
Patients And Methods:
We included one hundred consecutive patients who had been discharged for ischemic stroke in the previous six months. To evaluate adequacy of BP control in these patients office BP and 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring values were used.
Results:
We studied 63 males and 37 females; mean age was 69 ± 11 years. Sixty-eight lacunar and 32 non-lacunar strokes were included. Episodes of NHP were observed in 59 patients. Clinical hypertension was present in 34 patients. An abnormal pattern of circadian rhythm of BP was present in 72 subjects. Only 18 patients had BP within normal limits. Episodes of NHP were more frequent in subjects with good BP control versus patients with bad BP control: 88.8% and 52.4 % respectively (p = 0.007). The presence of NHP episodes was also inversely related to number of BP parameters altered (p = 0.001).
Conclusions:
Tight control of BP after ischemic stroke is associated with a high frequency of NHP episodes. It is likely that aggressively lowering BP levels within the normal range after an ischemic stroke may be not beneficial, particularly in elderly patients.
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