More research needed to assess benefits and risks of tighter blood pressure control
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Survivors of intracerebral hemorrhage may be at higher risk for recurrence if their blood pressure (BP) isn’t under control, a new study warns. The findings were published in the Sept. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Jonathan Rosand, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and colleagues tracked outcomes for 1,145 people who experienced an intracerebral hemorrhage. All of the patients survived at least 90 days. They were followed for up to 37 months and had their BP checked at three, six, nine, and 12 months, and then every six months. During the follow-up, 146 recurrent intracerebral hemorrhage events were recorded among the patients.
The rate of a second hemorrhage was higher among those whose BP was not under control, the researchers found. In fact, the higher the patient’s BP, the greater their risk of recurrence.
“In this observational single-center cohort study of intracerebral hemorrhage survivors, reported BP measurements suggesting inadequate BP control during follow-up were associated with higher risk of both lobar and nonlobar intracerebral hemorrhage recurrence,” the authors write. “These data suggest that randomized clinical trials are needed to address the benefits and risks of stricter BP control in intracerebral hemorrhage survivors.”
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