Acute hypertensive response in patients with stroke: pathophysiology and management.

Acute hypertensive response is the elevation of blood pressure (BP) above normal and premorbid values that initially occurs within the first 24 hours of symptom onset in patients with stroke. This phenomenon was reported in 60% of patients presenting with stroke in a nationally representative study from the United States.1 With 980 000 patients2 admitted with stroke each year in the United States, the estimated annual prevalence of acute hypertensive response is more than half a million patients. With 15 million patients experiencing stroke worldwide each year,3 the acute hypertensive response may be expected in 10 million patients per year. The acute hypertensive response in stroke patients is managed by a diverse group of physicians, including emergency physicians, intensivists, internists, primary care physicians, neurologists, neurosurgeons, and cardiologists. Previous audits suggest that antihypertensive agents and management strategies vary considerably and are not always consistent with recommended guidelines.4 Data from 1181 acute ischemic stroke patients enrolled in the Project for Improvement of Stroke Care Management suggested that administration of antihypertensive medication within 24 hours in 56% of the patients was inconsistent with guidelines provided by the American Stroke Association (ASA).5 The present review article summarizes the current concepts pertaining to treatment of the acute hypertensive response derived from recent guidelines provided by professional organizations and “best available” evidence derived from experimental and clinical studies and discusses incorporation of these concepts into clinical practice. Randomized trials, nonrandomized controlled studies, and selected observational studies were identified with multiple searches on Medline from 1980 to 2007 by cross-referencing the key words of stroke, acute hypertension, antihypertensive agents, acute stroke, and hypertension. Pertinent articles identified from bibliographies of selected articles were also reviewed. Treatment targets and strategies were identified by review of existing guidelines from professional organizations.