High blood pressure is well-known for increasing the likelihood of having a stroke.
A study led by Michigan Medicine has highlighted the significant impact of sustained high systolic blood pressure—the top number in a blood pressure reading—on the risk of strokes over a person’s lifetime.
The study found that consistently high systolic blood pressure in adults is linked to a higher risk of experiencing the two most common types of stroke.
The research, published in JAMA Network Open, examined the average systolic blood pressure of over 40,000 people aged 18 and older who had no history of stroke.
The study focused on three types of stroke: ischemic stroke, caused by a clot that blocks blood supply to the brain and accounts for over 85% of all strokes; intracerebral hemorrhage, which is bleeding within the brain; and subarachnoid hemorrhage, bleeding between the brain and the tissues covering it.
Findings showed that an average systolic blood pressure just 10 mm Hg higher than normal increased the overall risk of stroke and ischemic stroke by 20%, and the risk of intracerebral hemorrhage by 31%.
This underscores the importance of early diagnosis and long-term management of high blood pressure to prevent these severe health outcomes.
Dr. Deborah A. Levine, the study’s senior author and a professor at the University of Michigan Medical School, emphasized that controlling high blood pressure throughout life is crucial for stroke prevention.
She particularly noted the elevated risks for Black and Hispanic patients, who are more likely to have uncontrolled hypertension compared to white patients.
Black patients had a 20% higher risk of ischemic stroke and a 67% higher risk of intracerebral hemorrhage than white patients, while Hispanic patients faced a 281% higher risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage compared to white patients.
Dr. Levine stressed the need for healthcare providers to educate patients on the importance of home blood pressure monitoring and for insurers to cover the cost of home monitors. Monitoring blood pressure at home is an effective, accurate, and cost-efficient way to manage blood pressure, yet it is still underutilized.
Dr. Kimson E. Johnson, the study’s first author, highlighted that examining racial inequities helps understand the broader social, economic, and political factors that affect health behaviors and stroke risk among minority groups.
This understanding is crucial for developing targeted interventions to reduce stroke risk in these populations.
Despite the importance of controlling systolic blood pressure to prevent strokes and other cardiovascular diseases, a national study in 2020 found that blood pressure control in the United States worsened between 2013 and 2018, especially among Black and Hispanic adults.
This trend points to the need for better patient education and access to self-monitoring tools.
In summary, the Michigan Medicine study highlights the critical role of managing high blood pressure over the long term to reduce the risk of strokes.
It calls for healthcare systems to prioritize patient education and for insurers to support access to home blood pressure monitors. By addressing these barriers, we can improve blood pressure control and significantly reduce the chances of stroke, particularly in high-risk groups.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that could increase high blood pressure risk, and people with severe high blood pressure should reduce coffee intake.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and results showing plant-based foods could benefit people with high blood pressure.
The research findings can be found in AMA Network Open.
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