The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7273 p607
1 November 2003

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Neurology abstract (more)

Maintain higher BP in acute phase

Lowering blood pressure in the first 24 hours after stroke might be a bad idea, say researchers.

SA study published in Neurology shows that for every 10 per cent decrease in systolic blood pressure in the first 24 hours, the risk of poor outcome doubled (2003;61:1047). An accompanying editorial notes that although “lower is better” for preventing first and subsequent strokes, growing evidence supports the idea that “higher is good” for the acute phase (ibid, p1030).