The prognostic significance of ABPM in patients with acute stroke

Hypertension is present in about 77% of patients with a first episode of stroke. Unlike the established benefit of lowering blood pressure for the primary and secondary prevention of stroke, the management of hypertension in patients with acute stroke remains controversial. ABPM is a diagnostic tool that has been proposed as a method of obtaining a more reliable assessment of patients’ blood pressure in comparison with OBPM. ABPM provides precise information about the BP values during the daily activity, during the night period, additionally, about the circadian rhythm of blood pressure and also about the short- and long-term blood pressure variability. There have been several studies that have shown a superior prognostic value of ABPM measurements compared with OBPM in predicting the incidence of CV events. ABPM values were also more closely associated with subclinical organ damage. Simultaneously, more studies are needed to assess the significance of ABPM in patients with acute stroke. Data from many observational studies have suggested that both high and low BP values in the acute phase of stroke (assessed in ABPM, but not in conventional measurements), reduced nocturnal BP fall and increased short-term and long-term BP variability are associated with poorer prognosis in terms of functional recovery and increased mortality. These findings indicate that a single BP value may be insufficient as a prognostic factor and that the accurate blood pressure monitoring in the early phase of stroke would be applicable. These data suggest the clinical utility of ABPM in patients with acute stroke