By Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter Latest High Blood Pressure News
THURSDAY, March 27, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Controlling blood pressure after suffering a stroke can reduce the odds of having another stroke by more than half, a new study finds.
But fewer than one-third of patients maintain a consistently low blood pressure more than 75 percent of the time, according to the two-year study.
"This study showed that consistency of blood pressure control is an important factor influencing risk of another stroke, heart attack or death from vascular causes," said the study's lead researcher, Dr. Amytis Towfighi.
Key lifestyle changes and at-home blood pressure monitoring might help these people avoid another stroke, said Towfighi, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine.
Blood pressure varies, Towfighi said, and getting a decent blood pressure reading at an occasional checkup might not be enough for your doctor to make effective treatment decisions.
"Use of home blood pressure monitors may give those with high blood pressure a better picture of their own consistency of blood pressure control," she said.
"They should be encouraged to measure and record their blood pressure and share their blood pressure logs with their doctor," Towfighi said.
The report was published online March 27 in the journal Stroke.
There are many ways to get blood pressure under control, said Dr. Ralph Sacco, chairman of neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
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Keeping Blood Pressure Low Halves Risk of Second Stroke: Study