Blood pressure changes before stroke

“Swings in blood pressure ‘could better predict stroke than average high readings’,” reported The Daily Telegraph. The paper reported that “variations in people’s blood pressure rather than the average level predicts stroke most powerfully”.

The news story was based on a collection of studies published in The Lancet. The authors have  presented a compelling argument that fluctuations in blood pressure may help to predict the risk of vascular events such as stroke.

As mentioned in an accompanying editorial published in the same journal, it is important to point out that the authors are not questioning the validity of using average blood pressure to predict risk, but are suggesting that variable blood pressure could also be used as a supplementary indicator of increased risk.

At this stage, further evidence needs to be presented that fluctuating blood pressure can be used in this way before guidelines on identifying cardiac risk would be updated. Patients should not stop taking their blood pressure medication, but should consult their GP if they have any queries regarding it.
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