HealthDay News — Prehypertension is associated with increased risk of stroke, according to research published online in Neurology.
Yuli Huang, MD, of Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues performed a meta-analysis of 19 prospective cohort studies, involving 762,393 participants, to examine the association between prehypertension and risk of stroke. Low-range prehypertension was defined as 120-129/80-84 mm Hg, and high-range prehypertension was defined as 130-139/85-89 mm Hg.
Compared with optimal BP of less than 120/80 mm Hg, prehypertension was associated with increased risk of stroke (multivariate-adjusted relative risk 1.66; 95% CI: 1.51-1.81). The risk of stroke was significantly higher for high-range prehypertension (RR 1.95; 95% CI: 1.73- 2.21) than for low-range prehypertension (RR 1.44; 95% CI: 1.27 to 1.63).
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“After adjusting for multiple cardiovascular risk factors, prehypertension is associated with stroke morbidity,” the authors write. “Although the increased risk is largely driven by high-range prehypertension, the risk is also increased in people with low-range prehypertension.”
