Impact of awake blood pressure variability on cerebrovascular atherosclerosis in Chinese patients with acute ischemic stroke

High prevalence of intracranial arterial stenosis among acute ischemic stroke patients in a Brazilian center: a transcranial color-coded duplex sonography study

BACKGROUND

 There is limited data available regarding the prevalence of intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS) among acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients in Brazil and Latin America.

OBJECTIVE

 The present study sought to investigate the frequency and predictors of ICAS among patients with AIS or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in a Brazilian center, with transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS) technique.

METHODS

 Consecutive AIS and TIA patients, admitted to an academic public comprehensive stroke center in Brazil from February to December 2014, evaluated by TCCS were prospectively selected. Vascular narrowings > 50% were considered as ICAS, based on ultrasound criteria previously defined in the literature.

RESULTS

 We assessed 170 consecutive patients with AIS or TIA, of whom 27 (15.9%) were excluded due to an inadequate transtemporal acoustic bone window. We confirmed ICAS in 55 patients (38.5%). The most common location was the proximal segment of the middle cerebral artery (28.2%), followed by the vertebral (15.4%), posterior cerebral (13.6%), terminal internal carotid (9.1%) and basilar (8.2%) arteries. On multivariate models adjusting for potential confounders, systolic blood pressure (OR: 1.03, 95%CI: 1.01-1.04; p = 0.008) was independently associated with ICAS.

CONCLUSION

 We found significant ICAS in approximately ⅓ of patients admitted with symptoms of AIS or TIA in a public tertiary academic stroke center in Brazil. The TCCS is an accessible and noninvasive technique that can be used to investigate the presence of moderate and severe ICAS, especially in patients who cannot be exposed to more invasive exams, such as the use of intravenous contrast agents.

Blood pressure undulation of peripheral thrombolysis period in acute ischemic stroke is associated with prognosis

BACKGROUND

Evidence suggests that patients with higher blood pressure variability (BPV) have a higher risk for stroke but the relationship between BPV and stroke outcomes is unknown in those who underwent intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The objective of this study is to investigate the association among BPV, BP values and stroke outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of about 510 consecutive thrombolysis cases for AIS from January 2015 to March 2019 in a single-center database were done. Then, these patients were followed-up for 3 months. We used univariate and multivariable models to evaluate the relationship between mean BP values, BPV and the risk of stroke outcomes from prior IVT to 72 h after IVT. Meanwhile, we also used COX regression to assess the hazard ratios of stroke outcomes with BPV within 3 months. Furthermore, we tested the effect of BP level at various time-points (prior to IVT and at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after IVT) on development of postthrombolytic stroke outcomes.

RESULTS

Higher BPV from prior IVT to 72 h after IVT was associated with higher risk of stroke outcomes within 3 months [SBPV of recurrent stroke: odds ratios (OR) = 5.298, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.339-10.968, P = 0.018; DBPV of recurrent stroke: OR = 6.397, 95% CI 1.576-25.958, P = 0.009, respectively]. In addition, patients with recurrent stroke had significantly higher mean SBP (OR=1.037, 95% CI 1.006-1.069, P = 0.019). Furthermore, higher BP at different time points were associated with greater risk of recurrent stroke from prior IVT to 72 h after IVT.

CONCLUSION

Higher BPV and SBP from prior IVT to 72 h after IVT was associated with higher risk of stroke outcomes within 3 months.

Home blood pressure on winter mornings could be exaggerated: A comparison with summer mornings

PURPOSE

Self-measured blood pressure at home (HBP) is quite important for the management of hypertension. We hypothesized that winter HBP measured according to the recommendation of the guidelines, but not HBP measured inside bed before getting up, is elevated in response to cold ambient temperatures in winter. This study aimed to investigate differences in HBP measured before and after getting up in winter and summer.Methods: Hypertensive subjects whose blood pressure was stably controlled were enrolled (n = 46, 73 years). They were instructed to measure HBP while in bed just after waking (HBP-bed), in addition to the ordinary HBP measurement in the morning (HBP-morning) according to the guidelines. The mean value of HBP for 7 consecutive days before the day of a regular hospital visit was considered as the HBP of each subject, and characteristics of the winter and summer BPs were investigated.Results: HBP-morning was significantly higher (P < .001) in winter than in summer, but HBP-bed was lower in winter than in summer (P < .05). HBP-morning was significantly higher than HBP-bed in winter, while HBP-morning was not different from HBP-bed in summer, resulting in greater changes in HBP after getting up in winter than in summer (P < .0001). Changes in HBP after getting up were significantly correlated with serum creatinine levels and the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio.Conclusions: These findings imply that elevated HBP-morning in winter reflects the response of BP to cold after getting up. Seasonal profiles of HBPs before and after getting up should be noted in the management of hypertension.

Blood Pressure Variability during Angiography in Patients with Ischemic Stroke and Intracranial Artery Stenosis

Our aim was to investigate factors predicting blood pressure (BP) variability during diagnostic cerebral angiography and associations between BP variability and clinical outcomes in patients with acute and subacute ischemic stroke and intracranial artery stenosis. 114 patients with ischemic stroke and intracranial artery stenosis (stenosis rate >50%) were recruited. Patients who underwent cerebral angiography within 3 days and 3-14 days of disease onset are referred to be Group A and Group S, respectively. BP variability in Group A was defined as the coefficient of variance (CV) of BP. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to identify predictors of CV of BP and associations between CV of BP and clinical outcomes at discharge. In Group A patients, advanced age was associated with increased CV of SBP and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and antihypertensive use was associated with lower CV of SBP. Male was associated with lower CV of DBP. In Group S, higher CV of SBP was associated with hypertension and antihypertensive use. Males had lower CV of SBP than females. The calcium channel blocker was associated with lower CV of DBP. Higher scores of the Stroke Scale at admission were significantly associated with poor clinical outcomes for both groups, while BP variability was not. Factors associated with BP variability are significantly different between stroke patients undergoing angiography within 3 days vs. 3-14 days after disease onset. BP variability is not significantly associated with clinical outcomes at discharge.

Blood Pressure Variability and Severity of Early Prognosis in Patients with Acute Pontine Infarction

Background

Increased blood pressure (BP) variability may worsen the prognosis of stroke. This study aimed at investigating the association between BP variability and early functional prognosis in patients with pontine infarction.

Methods

According to types of pontine infarction, all the 137 patients were divided into two groups: 70 patients with paramedian pontine infarction (PPI) and 67 patients with deep pontine infarction (DPI). Common risk factors, 24-hour continuous blood pressure monitoring data, and the coefficient of variation were collected after admission in the hospital. Functional outcomes were evaluated with modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 3 months after discharge (favorable outcome: mRS scores ≤ 2; poor outcome: mRS scores > 2).

Results

The level of Glu, HbA1c, LDL, and NIHSS scores in the PPI group was significantly higher than that in the DPI group, and the concentration of blood uric acid was lower in the PPI group. Diastolic pressure in the PPI group is significantly higher than that in the DPI group, and coefficient of variation (CV) of systolic pressure in PPI is higher when compared with DPI ((88.77 ± 1.71) mmHg vs. (80.74 ± 1.31) mmHg; (11.54 ± 0.35) vs. (10.24 ± 0.25)). In multivariate analyses, the CV of systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, NIHSS scores, and the paramedian pontine infarction was independently associated with 3-month clinical outcome (OR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.252–2.994, P=0.003; OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.002–1.166, P=0.04; OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.164–2.159, P=0.003; OR = 9.87, 95% CI = 1.045–32.193, P=0.04).

Conclusion

In conclusion, increased 24-hour (BP) variability, NIHSS scores, and paramedian pontine were associated with early poor prognosis in patients with acute pontine infarction.

Interdialytic blood pressure variability and the risk of stroke in maintenance hemodialysis patients

Studies on nondialysis populations have linked visit-to-visit blood pressure (BP) variability (BPV) to cerebrovascular events and mortality. In view of the high prevalence of hypertension in hemodialysis patients, the predictive values of numerous factors for stroke, especially visit-to-visit BPV, were evaluated in this prospective cohort study.A total of 151 patients were enrolled in this study. The demographic features and various laboratory parameters were analyzed. At each routine hemodialysis visit, the predialysis, intradialysis, and post-dialysis BP measurements were systematically performed. We defined BPV using 4 metrics: standard deviation of the BP, coefficient of variation, average real variability (ARV), and variability independent of mean (VIM). Differences in the predialysis BPs from one treatment to the next (ie, interdialytic variability) and differences in the BPs from predialysis to post-dialysis (ie, intradialytic variability) were both studied in this work.Twenty-one patients developed stroke and 25 patients died. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model revealed a significant relationship between stroke and the interdialytic BPV (both predialysis systolic BP variability and predialysis diastolic BP variability) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C).Our results indicate that a high interdialytic BPV is associated with an increased risk for stroke that is independent of several factors, including age, sex, antihypertensive medication use, and mean BP over time. There is potential that the optimal treatment goal for hemodialysis patients may be to reduce the interdialytic BPV rather than either the mean BP or the intradialytic BPV.

Ambulatory blood pressure variability within the first 24 hours after admission and outcomes of acute ischemic stroke

Our purpose was to evaluate the value of blood pressure variability within the first 24 hours after admission in predicting outcomes of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). A greater variability in systolic blood pressure (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.801, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.167-2.779) was associated with poor discharge outcome, especially for nondiabetics (adjusted OR = 1.948, 95% CI = 1.184-3.205) and cardioembolism-related patients with AIS (OR = 7.650, 95% CI = 1.370-42.713). However, this correlation was not observed with a long-term (3-month or 6-month) outcome in patients with AIS. There was no association between diastolic blood pressure variability within the first 24 hours after admission and outcome. In conclusion, systolic blood pressure variability within the first 24 hours after admission is a critical predictor for short-term outcome of patients with AIS.