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| Blood pressure indices predict stroke mortality |
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10 February 2006
Various blood pressure indices predict long-term mortality from stroke in men with normal or high blood pressure, according to a report by researcher in Israel.
"Blood pressure is related to vascular disease and mortality in a complex manner," Dr Uri Goldbourt from Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, said. "As the population ages on the one hand and therapy gains hold on the other hand, it will be interesting to examine if indices like pulse-wave velocity (presumably expressed by increased pulse pressure) play a specific role in aged individuals."
Dr Goldbourt and Dr Dahlia Weitzman compared systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, and mean arterial pressure as risk markers for mortality, with an emphasis on stroke mortality, in 9611 men followed up over a 23-year period. Their findings appear in the February issue of Stroke.
All-cause mortality rates increased linearly across increasing systolic blood pressure quintiles, but not across increasing diastolic blood pressure quintiles. Compared with the lowest quintiles, stroke mortality risk was significantly increased in the highest quintiles of systolic blood pressure (4.8-fold), diastolic blood pressure (2.9-fold), mean arterial pressure (4.0-fold), and pulse pressure (4.6-fold). All four indices predicted fatal stroke risk in hypertensive and normotensive men but attempting to combine the indices into models yielded complex results. The four blood pressure indices were also predictive of coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality but models including two indices were not always predictive.
"The investigators plan to look at the relationship between blood pressure and blood pressure indices and mortality/stroke among 15,000 individuals already afflicted with coronary heart disease," Dr Goldbourt said.
Reference:
Stroke 2006; 37 (2): 358-363.
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