Interventions for deliberately altering blood pressure in acute stroke.

CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient evidence that lowering blood pressure during the acute phase of stroke improves functional outcome. It is reasonable to withhold blood pressure-lowering drugs until patients are medically and neurologically stable, and have suitable oral or enteral access, after which drugs can than be reintroduced. In people with acute stroke, CCBs, ACEI, ARA, beta blockers and NO donors each lower blood pressure while phenylephrine probably increases blood pressure. Further trials are needed to identify which people are most likely to benefit from early treatment, in particular whether treatment started very early is beneficial.
PMID: 25353321 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews - October 28, 2014 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Bath PM, Krishnan K Tags: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Source Type: research