Relationship Between Blood Pressure Level and Lethality in Acute Phase of Stroke : Observational Prospective Study.

Relation between blood pressure and lethality in stroke: observational study.

Introduction:

Stroke is the leading cause of death and disabling sequelae in adults in Brazil (LESSA, 1999), and the 2nd cause in the world (GRYSIEWICZ & al. 2008).

Arterial hypertension (AH) is the major risk factor for the occurrence of stroke. It is estimated that about 70% of all strokes are caused by uncontrolled hypertension (RADANOVIC, 2000). BP control is a key priority in the prevention of Stroke, but unfortunately, the rule that: among all hypertensive, only half is known of its hypertension, among those who know only half is in treatment, and half among them are in appropriate levels of BP, still valid (GUYTON & HALL, 2002).

Several studies were conducted as patients without prior stroke or in the stable phase of stroke (FRISHMAN & col. 1991; CHAPMAN & col. 2001; LENNART & col. 1998), but few studies evaluated patients in acute phase of stroke. Blood pressure (BP) during this phase aggravates cerebral edema (SPENCE, 2009), facilitates hemorrhagic transformation (BOWES & col. 1996; SAKU & col. 1990 and SAGAN et al 1998) which is the development of a cerebral hematoma at the site of cerebral ischemia and provides initial acute damage in other target organs: kidneys, heart and vessels (VELASCO & col. 1994). All these complications lead to increased mortality in the acute phase of stroke.