Hypertension and stroke: an appraisal of the evidence and implications for clinical management

While elevated blood pressure has long been associated with cardiovascular and renal outcomes, the association of hypertension and increased stroke risks is perhaps the strongest and best recognized. Furthermore, the reduction of blood pressure with antihypertensive agents has been well documented with lower stroke risks. The specific recommendations for high blood pressure management for stroke prevention have been somewhat unclear due to the study design and the quality of the evidence based on clinical study results. Further complicating the assessment process is the consideration of stroke as a primary outcome of randomized control trials. This appraisal and review describes the assessment of the evidence and trial results for management of hypertension and stroke risk reduction with consideration of the impact of The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). While evidence clearly identifies the benefit of intense hypertension treatment for the primary and secondary prevention of stroke, evidence gaps still remain.