Management of blood pressure after acute ischemic stroke: An evidence-based guide for the hospitalist

Blood Pressure Management Following Acute Ischemic Stroke: A Review of Primary Literature

Elevated blood pressure is common in patients with acute ischemic stroke. While this may occur secondary to the body's own response to preserve cerebral blood flow, elevated blood pressure may also increase the risk of hemorrhagic transformation. Current guidelines recommend various blood pressure goals based upon multiple factors, including thresholds specific to certain treatment interventions. Despite these guidelines, there is limited evidence to support specific blood pressure targets, and variability in clinical practice is common. The purpose of this review was to discuss blood pressure management in adult patients with acute ischemic stroke, focusing on appropriate targets in the setting of alteplase administration, mechanical thrombectomy, and hemorrhagic transformation.

Blood pressures immediately following ischemic strokes are associated with cerebral perfusion and neurologic function

The optimal range of blood pressure levels in the early phase of ischemic stroke with hypertension is still controversial. Based on our stroke registry database, we explored the relationship between blood pressure levels and cerebral perfusion in the early phase of ischemic stroke with hypertension and neurofunctional recovery at 3 months after stroke. Total 732 stroke patients with hypertension were finally analyzed. Patients were divided into quintiles according to systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) to perform multivariable logistic regression to analyze their relation with neurofunctional recovery, respectively. The cerebral perfusion levels displayed a reverse "U" shape curve with the change of blood pressure levels. Sufficient estimated cerebral blood flow (ECBF) in the early phase of ischemic stroke was associated with good neurofunctional recovery at 3 months after stroke. The best neurofunctional recovery was observed in the middle quintiles with SBP at 161 to 177 mm Hg and DBP at 103 to 114 mm Hg, respectively. So maintaining appropriate blood pressure levels in the early phase of ischemic stroke might be beneficial to cerebral perfusion and neurofunctional recovery.