Early antihypertensive therapy in acute ischemic stroke: A Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Gabriela Argollo Fernandes, Lorrany Larisse Costa Rodrigues, Maria Eduarda Sulzbacher E Lima et al.
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In 30 seconds
This meta-analysis evaluated the effects of early antihypertensive therapy (AHT) in 15,521 patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) across seven randomized controlled trials. The study found that early AHT did not significantly affect all-cause mortality or functional dependency, with risk ratios of 0.97 and 1.01, respectively. While AHT did lower blood pressure, it did not improve clinical outcomes.
Key findings
- Early AHT did not significantly reduce all-cause mortality (RR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.71-1.31).
- No significant difference in death or functional dependency was observed (RR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.92-1.12).
- AHT lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 8.58 mmHg at 24 hours (MD, -8.58 mmHg; 95% CI, -9.87--7.30).
Why it matters
The findings suggest that early initiation of antihypertensive therapy in acute ischemic stroke does not improve critical outcomes such as mortality or functional independence, highlighting the need for careful consideration of treatment strategies in this population.