Editorial comment--high blood pressure after acute cerebrovascular occlusion: risk or risk marker?

Blood pressure fluctuation pattern and stroke outcomes in acute ischemic stroke

Blood pressure (BP) fluctuates widely during the acute phase of stroke. Compared to single BP assessment, patterns of BP over time may have greater power in predicting stroke outcome. This study aims to investigate the effect of BP fluctuation patterns on stroke outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (IS) patients. IS patients within 24 h of onset registered in the BOSS registry between 2012 and 2014 were analyzed. Fluctuation of BP was predefined as the change trend in systolic BP (SBP) from Day 1 to Day 7 after onset and was used to divide patients into groups with sustained high SBP (≥160 mmHg) during the first 7 days (C1); rapid (C2: within the first 2 days) or delayed (C3: after 2 days) decline from high (≥160 mmHg) to low (<160 mmHg); consistently low SBP (C4); and elevation from low to high (C5). The primary stroke outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score ≥3 at 3 months after onset. Of 1,095 IS patients, C1 (n = 90) had the highest risk of poor outcome (23.3%), while C2 (n = 198, risk = 11.6%) and C4 (n = 650, risk = 12.2%) had the lowest risk. C2 and C4 had a significant reduction in poor outcome risk when compared to C1, even after adjustment for average BP and BP variability (BPV) during the first 7 days (adjusted odds ratio[OR]_C2 = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.12-0.80; OR_C4 = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.14-0.97). The BP fluctuation pattern in the acute phase of IS might be a useful predictive parameter for functional outcome independent of average BP and BPV.

Abnormal Blood Pressure Circadian Rhythm in Acute Ischaemic Stroke: are Lacunar Strokes Really Different?

Background

A pathologically reduced or abolished circadian blood pressure variation has been described in acute stroke. However, studies on alterations of circadian blood pressure patterns after stroke and stroke subtypes are scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in circadian blood pressure patterns in patients with acute ischaemic stroke and their relation to the stroke subtype.

Aims

We studied 98 consecutive patients who were admitted within 24 h after ischaemic stroke onset. All patients had a detailed clinical examination, laboratory studies and a CT scan study of the brain on admission. To study the circadian rhythm of blood pressure, a continuous blood pressure monitor (Spacelab 90217) was used. Patients were classified according to the percentage fall in the mean systolic blood pressure or diastolic blood pressure at night compared with during the day as: dippers (fall ≥ 10–20%); extreme dippers (≥20%); nondipper (<10%); and reverse dippers (<0%, that is, an increase in the mean nocturnal blood pressure compared with the mean daytime blood pressure). Data were separated and analysed in two groups: lacunar and nonlacunar infarctions. Statistical testing was conducted using the SSPS 12.0.

Methods

We studied 60 males and 38 females, mean age: 70·5 ± 11 years. The patient population consisted of 62 (63·2%) lacunar strokes and 36 (36·8%) nonlacunar strokes. Hypertension was the most common risk factor (67 patients, 68·3%). Other risk factors included hypercholesterolaemia (44 patients, 44·8%), diabetes mellitus (38 patients, 38·7%), smoking (24 patients, 24·8%) and atrial fibrillation (19 patients, 19·3%). The patients with lacunar strokes were predominantly men ( P = 0·037) and had a lower frequency of atrial fibrillation ( P = 0·016) as compared with nonlacunar stroke patients. In the acute phase, the mean systolic blood pressure was 136±20 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure was 78·7 ± 11·8. Comparing stroke subtypes, there were no differences in 24·h systolic blood pressure and 24-h diastolic blood pressure between patients with lacunar and nonlacunar infarction. However, patients with lacunar infarction showed a mean decline in day–night systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure of approximately 4 mmHg [systolic blood pressure: 3·9 (SD 10) mmHg, P = 0·003; diastolic blood pressure 3·7 (SD 7) mmHg, P = 0·0001] compared with nonlacunar strokes. Nonlacunar strokes showed a lack of 24-h nocturnal systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure fall. The normal diurnal variation in systolic blood pressure was abolished in 87 (88·9%) patients, and the variation in diastolic blood pressure was abolished in 76 (77·5%) patients. On comparing lacunar and nonlacunar strokes, we found that the normal diurnal variation in systolic blood pressure was abolished in 53 (85·4%) lacunar strokes and in 34 (94·4%) nonlacunar strokes ( P = nonsignificant). In terms of diurnal variation in diastolic blood pressure, it was abolished in 43 (69·3%) lacunar strokes and in 33 (91·6%) nonlacunar strokes ( P = 0·026).

Conclusions

Our results show clear differences in the blood pressure circadian rhythm of acute ischaemic stroke between lacunar and nonlacunar infarctions by means of 24-h blood pressure monitoring. The magnitude of nocturnal systolic and diastolic blood pressure dip was significantly higher in lacunar strokes. Besides, patients with lacunar strokes presented a higher percentage of dipping patterns in the diastolic blood pressure circadian rhythm. Therefore, one should consider the ischaemic stroke subtype when deciding on the management of blood pressure in acute stroke.

Induced hypertension for the treatment of acute MCA occlusion beyond the thrombolysis window: case report

BACKGROUND

A minority of stroke patients is eligible for thrombolytic therapy. Small pilot case series have hinted that elevation of incident arterial blood pressure might be associated with a favorable prognosis either in acute or subacute stroke. However, these patients were not considered for thrombolytic therapy and were not followed - up systematically. We used pharmacologically induced hypertension in a stroke patient with middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion ineligible for thrombolysis that was followed-up by radiological, clinical and functional outcome assessment.

CASE PRESENTATION

A patient with acute embolic MCA occlusion producing a large, ischemic penumbra confirmed by perfusion CT was treated by induced hypertension with phenylephrine started within 4 h of admission. Increase in the mean arterial pressure by 20% led to a reduction of neurological deficit by 3 points on the National Institute of Stroke Scale. MRI and CT scans performed during phenylephrine infusion showed the presence of limited subcortical and cortical infarct changes that were clearly less extensive than the perfusion deficit in the brain perfusion CT at baseline, found in the absence of MCA patency. No complications due to induced hypertension therapy occurred. Moderate functional improvement up to modified Rankin scale 2 at follow up took place.

CONCLUSION

Induced hypertension in acute ischemic stroke seems clinically feasible and may be beneficial in selected normo- or hypotensive stroke patients not eligible for thrombolytic recanalization therapy.