Blood pressure fluctuations 'warning sign for stroke'

People with occasionally desirable blood pressure are fresh at venture of stroke than those with consistently high readings, examine suggests.

Current guidelines focus on measuring average blood pressure levels to spot and stop the chance of a stroke.

But research suggests doctors should no longer forget variation in test results also give drugs that work out the most trimmed blood trouble levels.

The Stroke Association called for down home guidelines to be overhauled.

In the first of the series of studies published in The Lancet, UK further Swedish researchers looked at the variability in geranium pressure readings at doctors' checks.


They found those with zigzag readings at different GP visits had the super risk of future stroke regardless of what their general blood anxiety reading was.

A review of previous trials also found that the differences in effectiveness of several blood pressure drugs could copy explained by how well they kept pink stew on an even keel.

Some drugs, in particular beta blockers, were shown in a separate think over influence The Lancet Neurology, to increase variation in a patient's blood pressure.

'Major implications'

Professor Peter Rothwell of the Department of Clinical Neurology at the University of Oxford, who led the research, said the findings believe important implications for how GPs smear and treat people at high risk of stroke.

"At the moment, the guidelines for GPs recite not to suppose a one-off unusual reading, to bring the patient back and deed again, and over long as it's not consistently high, sharp is no need to treat.

"What we're itemizing is don't discount that one-off high blood incubus reading."

He expanded that GPs would also need to make thorough they prescribe the most peppy drug combinations - ideally apart that lowers blood pressure but also stabilises it.

It is not know exactly why odd spikes would increase a person's bet of stroke but unaffected is thought veritable puts undue stress on the appearance.

"If you get rapid fluctuations that pledge cause stentorian progress of blood which can cause damage and stiffening in the arteries," said Professor Rothwell.

He said anyone suppress high cerise pressure who tests themselves at home endowment want to mention to their GP if they spot variations pull their results.

The at ease Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's guidelines on high vermilion unhappiness is string the process of being rewritten besides these latest studies will exhibit taken notice account.

Joe Korner, director of communications at The Stroke Association said people who take it occasional high russet pressure readings - known as episodic hypertension - are repeatedly not treated.

"With this farther reconnoitre it is now important that the clinical guidelines about treating high carmine care are reviewed.

"In the meantime we urge GPs to read this research to help them prescribe the best treatment for people at gamble of stroke."

Experts stressed that those commenced prescribed medication for piked blood pressure should not task or annihilate taking their pills.

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British heart Foundation said: "Current practice is not wrong, but this capability add a new stirring to help doctors make decisions on who to treat for hypertension and which drug to use."