People who monitor their blood pressure (BP) are less risky to stroke, according to recently-released statistics and a clinical study made by a neurologist from the University of Oxford.
Statistics from the American Heart Association indicate an 18% increase of intracerebral hemorrhage in the past 10 years due to many elderly people lacking adequate BP control. Data from 2003 to 2006 showed that 55.9% of people with hypertension aged 20 years did not have it controlled, such that poor control rates of systolic hypertension remain a principal problem that aggravates CVD risk. This is one of the reasons why death rates due to High Blood Pressure (HBP) rose to 19.5% from 1996 to 2006. The actual number of deaths due to HBP rocketed to 48.1%.
Similarly, findings from a study conducted by the University of Oxford show that people with the greatest variation in systolic BP over seven visits to their doctor were six times more likely to have a major stroke. Meanwhile, people with the highest blood pressure readings were 15 times more likely to have stroke. High risk of stroke is present to those with increased variability in BP, high maximum BP, and episodic hypertension.
This means that extremely variable BP can greatly increase a person's risk of stroke compared to having high blood pressure alone. Dr. Peter Rothwell, the study's lead professor, says that this indicates episodic hypertension having more value over mean blood pressure in some patients.
Because of his study's results, Dr. Rothwell invites other neurologists and doctors to change the way they view high blood pressure. Doctors should now start making a diagnosis on the basis of blood pressure measurements that vary substantially from visit to visit instead of ignoring variability and occasional high readings.
Ignoring variability, according to Rothwell, is dangerous as it leads to the under-diagnosis and under-treatment of hypertension. If practiced earlier, increase in HBP deaths could have been decreased if not totally averted, especially since BP is substantial in prescribing medications.
Since HBP is a risk factor to stroke, people with hypertension are advised to take vigilance in monitoring their blood pressure regularly or, at least once a week. It is really recommended that you have a sphygmomanometer or its electronic counterpart at home so you could monitor your BP. Monitoring should be done daily on the same time, and any significant change should be relayed immediately to your doctor. Regular checkup with your doctor is mandatory for your own good.
People who monitor their BP regularly are less prone to suffer stroke. It may be too tedious at times but what is a little discomfort such as that over the long-term disability brought by a stroke.
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