J-shaped curve for BP in stroke

There is a J-shaped relation for blood pressure and mortality in patients taking medication for stroke, say UK researchers.

Their meta-regression analysis compared differences in on-treatment blood pressure with the clinical outcome of 9,008 patients in 37 trials looking at different treatments for stroke.

The authors found the lowest odds of death with an on-treatment drop in systolic blood pressure of 14.4 mmHg, with the risk rising either side of this point. The nadir was even less for the odds of an early death, at a blood pressure difference of 8.1 mmHg, with a similar J-curve association.

Hypertension 2009; published early online 3 August 2009