Black people who survived intracranial hemorrhages were more likely than whites to have high blood pressure a year later, according to a study, thus increasing their risk of another stroke.
Intracranial hemorrhages account for only 10% of all strokes but have a death rate of about 40% in the first month, much higher than other types of stroke. Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor associated with hemorrhagic stroke.
“If you have already had a stroke, blood pressure treatment can reduce your chance of having another stroke by between 25% and 50%,” Darin B. Zahuranec, MD, MS, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center in Ann Arbor.
However, more than half the patients in the study still had hypertension a year after the stroke, despite taking one or more anti-hypertensive medications.
The researchers found no significant racial differences 30 days after ICH. But a year later, 63% of blacks had hypertension — compared with 38% of whites — despite taking more blood pressure medications.
The study was conducted at Georgetown University Medical Center and included 162 patients (average age 59, 77% black, 53% male) in Washington, D.C. It was too small to identify which factors may explain the racial differences. However, Zahuranec said patients who were married and those who lived in a facility rather than a private residence had lower blood pressure at follow-up.
“Blood pressure is not just about taking medications,” Zahuranec said. “Patients can have a very large impact on blood pressure control by making changes to diet and exercise habits, and with weight loss. We need to do more for our patients to help them get their blood pressure under control.”
Zahuranec said he hopes the study will help to underscore that environmental and social factors may be crucial to blood pressure control in stroke survivors. He added that additional studies should also be done to further investigate underlying reasons for racial differences in blood pressure.
The study appeared Aug. 16 on the website of the journal Stroke. The study abstract is available at http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/early/2012/08/16/STROKEAHA.112.663047.abstract.
Intracranial hemorrhages account for only 10% of all strokes but have a death rate of about 40% in the first month, much higher than other types of stroke. Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor associated with hemorrhagic stroke.
“If you have already had a stroke, blood pressure treatment can reduce your chance of having another stroke by between 25% and 50%,” Darin B. Zahuranec, MD, MS, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center in Ann Arbor.
However, more than half the patients in the study still had hypertension a year after the stroke, despite taking one or more anti-hypertensive medications.
The researchers found no significant racial differences 30 days after ICH. But a year later, 63% of blacks had hypertension — compared with 38% of whites — despite taking more blood pressure medications.
The study was conducted at Georgetown University Medical Center and included 162 patients (average age 59, 77% black, 53% male) in Washington, D.C. It was too small to identify which factors may explain the racial differences. However, Zahuranec said patients who were married and those who lived in a facility rather than a private residence had lower blood pressure at follow-up.
“Blood pressure is not just about taking medications,” Zahuranec said. “Patients can have a very large impact on blood pressure control by making changes to diet and exercise habits, and with weight loss. We need to do more for our patients to help them get their blood pressure under control.”
Zahuranec said he hopes the study will help to underscore that environmental and social factors may be crucial to blood pressure control in stroke survivors. He added that additional studies should also be done to further investigate underlying reasons for racial differences in blood pressure.
The study appeared Aug. 16 on the website of the journal Stroke. The study abstract is available at http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/early/2012/08/16/STROKEAHA.112.663047.abstract.
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