Stroke: delaying the development of hypertension reduces the risk of stroke

Researchers from the University of Alabama have found that it is not the fact of having hypertension, but the long-term effects of this condition on the body that may increase the risk of stroke. The results of the study are published in the journal Stroke.

The study involved 27,310 adults in the United States. The average age of the participants was 65 years old. After obtaining data on their health status, blood pressure and lifestyle, scientists began following the volunteers for an average of 12.4 years.

The study showed that the longer a person suffered from hypertension, the more classes of high blood pressure medications they had to take. People who lived with hypertension for 21 years or more took an average of 2.28 classes of medication, compared to 1.68 for those who had hypertension for five years or less.

The risk of stroke also increased as the duration of the disease increased. Participants who had hypertension for less than five years were 31% more likely to have a brain bleeding disorder than those with normal blood pressure. Those who had hypertension for six to 20 years were 50% more likely to experience this dangerous event. Twenty years (and longer) of exposure to high blood pressure increased the risk of stroke by 67%.

The researchers noted that most of the efforts of health systems and individuals are aimed at preventing stroke by normalizing blood pressure. However, it is the duration of exposure to hypertension that does the damage.

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