Blood pressure control and risk profile in poststroke survivors

Abstract

We found a high prevalence and poor control of major cardiovascular risk factors in patients surviving their first-ever ischemic stroke, thus showing poor implementation of guidelines for secondary prevention in clinical practice.

Revisão Sistemática Sobre a Epidemiologia Das Doenças Cardiovasculares E Respiratórias E Suas Associações Com a Poluição Do Ar Em Vitória/Es

“…Com relação às estimativas internacionais de prevalência de hipertensão, algumas revisões e metanálises têm sido conduzidas em nível mundial, apresentando grande abrangência de dados [42][43][44][45][46][47][48] . A metanálise mais abrangente e bem conduzida sobre a prevalência da hipertensão em nível mundial foi publicada por Mills et al 42 , englobando 135 estudos de 90 países distintos e uma amostra final de quase um milhão de participantes.…”

Blood pressure control after a stroke

“…Confirming the dominant importance of high blood pressure, the authors report that they found hypertension in 92% of stroke survivors and 72% of population controls. Although use of blood pressure-lowering drugs was common in both the groups, 80% in poststroke survivors and 57% in the controls, effective blood pressure control, defined as blood pressure 140/90 mmHg or less, was found only in 43% of stroke survivors and 44% of population controls [5]. The significant predictors of good control were use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, number of blood pressure-lowering drugs used, female sex and university education.…”

“…On the other hand, about three-quarters of survivors did take antiplatelet agents, including aspirin. Another disappointment was the fact that about one-third of the survivor group continued to smoke and 40% were obese [5]. The authors conclude that these findings reflect poor implementation of guideline recommendations by clinicians, particularly general practitioners who treat the majority of stroke survivors.…”

“…These two factors overcome an opposing trend from decreases in age-specific death rates, in almost all regions of the world. However, there are two regions out of the 21, where the gains in age-specific cardiovascular health were sufficient to offset these two demographic factors, and result in an overall decrease in deaths due to CVD -Western Europe and Central Europe, where the total number of CVD deaths fell by 13 and 5%, respectively [4].This issue of the Journal of Hypertension presents a very relevant article from Central Europe, reflecting on our performance in controlling blood pressure in both stroke survivors and in a population sample [5]. Specifically, Cifkova et al…”

“…This issue of the Journal of Hypertension presents a very relevant article from Central Europe, reflecting on our performance in controlling blood pressure in both stroke survivors and in a population sample [5]. Specifically, Cifkova et al…”