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uk/health/healthnews/7423151/Swings-in-blood-pressure-could-
better-predict-stroke-than-high-average-readings.html
Swings in blood pressure 'could better
predict stroke than high average readings'
Fluctuating blood pressure levels could be a better warning
signal that a patient is at risk of a stroke than high average
readings, according to new research.
By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent
7:30AM GMT 12 Mar 2010
Comment
ariations in !lood press"re #ere also important indicators o$ t%e ris& o$ a %eart attac&, %eart
$ail"re and c%est pain, t%e $indin's s%o#(
)*perts $rom +*$ord ,niversity, #%o carried o"t t%e researc%, called $or treatment '"idelines to
!e revie#ed as s"c% c%an'es in !lood press"re levels are c"rrently i'nored as irrelevant(
-ro$ -eter .ot%#ell, #%o led t%e st"dy, said: /-revio"sly, s"c% $l"ct"ations #ere considered to
!e !eni'n and "nin$ormative(
01e %ave s%o#n t%at it is variations in people2s !lood press"re rat%er t%an t%e avera'e level t%at
predicts stro&e most po#er$"lly(
/+ccasional %i'% val"es, and #%at mi'%t !e called episodic %ypertension, carry a %i'% ris& o$
stro&e(3
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T%e !est prod"cts in l"*"ry, %y'iene and style Ge!erit
-atients #%ose /avera'e3 levels are considered normal !"t #%o s"$$er s"c% spi&es s%o"ld !e
treated #it% !lood press"re lo#erin' dr"'s, %e added(
T%ere are an estimated 1< million people in Britain #it% %i'% !lood press"re and dr"'s to lo#er
levels are amon' t%e most commonly prescri!ed medications on t%e 84;(
T%e researc% loo&ed at %o# !lood press"re varia!ility a$$ected stro&e ris& in $o"r trials, eac%
incl"din' more t%an 2,000 patients, all o$ #%om %ad previo"sly e*perienced a so:called 0mini:
stro&e0, or transient isc%emic attac& =T>A?(
T%ose #it% t%e 'reatest variation in t%eir systolic !lood press"re @ t%e press"re meas"red #it%
eac% 0s"r'e0 o$ t%e !eatin' %eart @ #ere si* times more li&ely to %ave a stro&e t%an t%ose #it%
t%e least $l"ct"ation, independent o$ t%eir avera'e readin's(
T%ose #%ose 2s#in's2 in !lood press"re also pea&ed at %i'% levels %ad a 1<:$old increased ris&,
accordin' to t%e $indin's, p"!lis%ed in t%e Aancet medical Bo"rnal(
6l"ct"ations #ere also a #arnin' si'n o$ %eart $ail"re, an'ina and %eart attac&s, independent o$
avera'e !lood press"re, t%e researc% $o"nd(
T#o ot%er st"dies, p"!lis%ed in T%e Aancet and T%e Aancet 8e"rolo'y, $o"nd t%at t%ree 'ro"ps
o$ !lood press"re dr"', AC) in%i!itors, an'iotensin:2:receptor !loc&ers and !eta !loc&ers,
increased variation, #%ile anot%er t#o calci"m c%annel !loc&ers and non:loop di"retic dr"'s,
red"ced it(
-ro$ .ot%#ell said: 0T%e #or& s%o#s t%at many patients need !lood:press"re:sta!ilisin' dr"'s @
a ne# concept @ as #ell as !lood:press"re:lo#erin' dr"'s(0
-ro$ -eter 1eiss!er', $rom t%e Britis% 4eart 6o"ndation =B46?, said: 04i'% !lood press"re is
e*tremely common, and an important ris& $actor $or %eart attac& and stro&e( T%ese researc%ers
s"''est t%at meas"rin' !lood press"re varia!ility @ rat%er t%an sin'le recordin's o$ !lood
press"re @ may !e important(
0C"rrent practice is not #ron', !"t t%is mi'%t add a ne# meas"re to %elp doctors ma&e decisions
on #%o to treat $or %ypertension and #%ic% dr"' to "se(
0-eople ta&in' !eta !loc&ers s%o"ld not !e alarmed or stop t%eir treatment s"ddenly, #%ic% can
!e dan'ero"s( T%ere are several potentially li$e:savin' reasons to 'ive someone a !eta !loc&er(
T%ose #it% concerns s%o"ld tal& to t%eir G-(0
7oe Korner, $rom t%e ;tro&e Association said: 0T%ese st"dies s%o# t%at people #%ose %i'% !lood
press"re varies, &no#n as episodic %ypertension, %ave a partic"larly %i'% ris& o$ stro&e( T%is
co"ld %ave a %"'e impact on t%e $"t"re prevention o$ stro&e !eca"se at t%e moment t%ey are
o$ten not treated(3
Blood press"re is e*pressed "sin' t#o meas"rements, systolic and diastolic(
;ystolic, t%e $irst n"m!er in a !lood press"re level, re$lects press"re in t%e arteries as t%e %eart
!eats, #%ile t%e diastolic, t%e ot%er n"m!er, is t%e press"re !et#een !eats(
Blood press"re aro"nd 120CD0 is considered normal !"t most ot%er#ise %ealt%y people are not
t%o"'%t to s"$$er ill e$$ects "p to aro"nd !et#een 130CD0 and 150CE0( A !lood press"re level
!et#een 150CE0 and 1F0C100 is &no#n as mildly raised, #%ile a!ove 1F0C100 is considered too
%i'%(
)very year an estimated 1<0,000 people in Britain s"$$er a stro&e(