The Voice of Reason

In a randomized trial, outcomes were neither better nor worse with early antihypertensive therapy.

A 2013 guideline from the American Stroke Association recommends that we avoid antihypertensive drug therapy during the first 24 hours after onset of acute ischemic stroke unless systolic or diastolic blood pressure (BP) exceeds 220 mm Hg or 120 mm Hg, respectively. (The threshold is 185/110 mm Hg for patients receiving thrombolytic therapy; Stroke 2013; 44:870) The concern is that early BP lowering might worsen stroke outcomes. However, no large randomized trials have tested this theory, until now.

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