Lowering blood pressure during the first 48 hours after a stroke does not reduce the likelihood of death or major disability, claims research.
Blood pressure often is elevated following a stroke.
“In most cases, treatment is unnecessary because the blood pressure declines naturally over time and lowering blood pressure may be contra-indicated,” warned stroke specialist Jose Biller at Loyola University Medical Centre.
It is important not to overtreat and cause low blood pressure, because the most important objective is to maintain adequate blood flow to the brain, Biller advised.
Lowering blood pressure has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke. The study investigated whether there also would be a benefit to lowering blood pressure immediately after a stroke.
The study included more than 4,000 stroke patients in 26 hospitals across China who were randomly assigned to receive blood pressure medications or to discontinue blood pressure medications.
At 14 days or hospital discharge, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups in mortality or disability, said the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
It involved patients who had suffered ischemic strokes, which account for about 85 percent of all strokes.
Such strokes are caused by blood clots that block blood flow to a part of the brain.
Blood Pressure Basics
There are no hard and fast figures which represent a normal blood pressure. And very often doctors and other experts cannot even decide between them what an ideal blood pressure range is for an adult.
However it is usually agreed that somewhere between 110/70 and 125/80 is considered to be an average blood pressure for a grown person, though someone with naturally low blood pressure may be closer to a range of 100/60
A blood pressure of 140/90 is considered to be high, though as a person gets older, this falls into the more normal range for people.
Blood doesn’t circulate in an even stream around the body, but travels in a constant series of spurts. Therefore the pressure peaks in the blood vessels just after a heart beat and then ebbs until the next one.
This is a continuous process.
The two blood pressure figures represent the pressures when the forces are at their peak and at their lowest ebb. The stronger the arteries are, the more they resist the force of the blood and the lower the blood
pressure.
As a person gets older, and the elasticity of their arteries weakens, the figures tend to rise. However the lower figure should still be under 90 until that person at least reaches their sixties.
Many studies looking at blood pressure in both black and white people have found there is a higher prevalence of hypertension (High blood pressure) in black people than there is in white. This has led to
further research in determining whether this is racially determined or just based on socioeconomic and dietary factors.
Some people suffering high blood pressure may find they just can’t pinpoint a cause for their problem. They may be fit, have a very healthy lifestyle yet their blood pressure remains consistently high for no
apparent reason. This is called Primary or essential high blood pressure. However if the raised blood pressure is due to an underlying medical problem, it is known as Secondary High Blood Pressure.
Nearly one in four people in the Western world have high blood pressure. Many people don’t appreciate it is a dangerous condition that can lead to a heart attack kidney failure or stroke if it is left untreated. Yet there are thousands of people unaware they have high blood pressure who are walking around with a lethal time bomb ticking away inside them.
High Blood Pressure Treatment
Blood pressure is the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries. Each time the heart beats, it pumps blood through the arteries. Your blood pressure is at its highest when the heart beats,
forcing blood into the arteries. This is called systolic pressure. When the heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure. Blood pressure is always given as two numbers, the systolic and diastolic pressures. Both are important.
The systolic pressure is the first or top number, and the diastolic pressure is the second or bottom number (for example, 120/80). If your blood pressure is 120/80, you say that it is “120 over 80”.
It is important to take steps to keep your blood pressure under control. The treatment goal is to keep blood pressure below 140/90, or even lower for people with other conditions, such as diabetes and kidney disease.
Adopting healthy lifestyle habits is an essential and effective first step in both preventing and controlling high blood pressure. However, if lifestyle changes alone are not effective in keeping your pressure controlled, it may be necessary to take blood pressure medications.
The following types of medications are available to treat high blood pressure:
Diuretics
Diuretics are sometimes called water pills because they work in the kidney and flush excess water and sodium from the body, lowering blood pressure.
Beta-blockers
Beta-blockers reduce nerve impulses to the heart and blood vessels. This makes the heart beat slower and with less force. As a result of these drugs, the blood pressure drops and the heart works less hard.
ACE inhibitors
Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors prevent the formation of a hormone called angiotensin II, which normally causes blood vessels to narrow. The ACE inhibitors cause the vessels to relax and blood pressure goes down.
Angiotensin antagonists
Angiotensin antagonists shield blood vessels from angiotensin II. As a result, the vessels become wider and blood pressure goes down.
Calcium channel blockers (CCBs)
CCBs keep calcium from entering the muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to relax and pressure goes down.
Alpha-blockers
Alpha-blockers reduce nerve impulses to blood vessels, which allows blood to pass more easily, causing the blood pressure to go down.
Alpha-beta-blockers
Alpha-beta-blockers work the same way as alpha-blockers but also slow the heartbeat, as beta-blockers do. As a result of using these drugs, less blood is pumped through the vessels and the blood pressure goes down.
Nervous system inhibitors
Nervous system inhibitors relax blood vessels by controlling nerve impulses, and this causes the blood vessels to become wider and the blood pressure to go down.
Vasodilators
Vasodilators directly open blood vessels by relaxing the muscles in the vessel walls, causing the blood pressure to go down.
To find out if you have high blood pressure consult your doctor and have a blood pressure test. The test is quick and painless.
To determine which life style changes and medications are appropriate, consult your doctor.
