Controlling Hypertension to Reduce the Risk of Stroke
Long-term hypertension has been implicated as one of the greatest risk factors for the cause of stroke, but yet it is a very controllable one. The risks of stroke increase with age and, as the population of the United States grows older, the number of people who will experience a stroke will greatly increase. In the past, various antihypertensive therapies have proved to lower blood pressure with a resulting decrease in stroke. Stroke can be devastating in terms of quality of life and cost of care; therefore, prevention of stroke should become a priority for all health care professionals. As newer antihypertensive classes of drugs are being studied in high-risk cardiovascular populations, health care professionals need to educate themselves and their patients regarding new treatment options, where these options belong within treatment guidelines for hypertension, and their relevance in preventing the incidence of stroke. This review briefly summarizes the significance of controlling hypertension to reduce the risk of stroke by reviewing some of the clinical trials that support pharmacologic intervention.

During the next 20 years the number of patients with hypertension is estimated to increase to more than 70 million people, with those over the age of 50 years comprising more than 80% of that group. Additionally, there is a significant increase in the rate of coronary heart disease in those between 65 and 94 years old when compared to those between 35 and 64 years old. Aging, along with diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, male gender, and smoking, is considered a significant factor contributing to high blood pressure. The presence of diabetes doubles this risk compared to those without diabetes. In hypertensives under the age of 50, elevated diastolic blood pressure (i.e., >90 mm Hg) is a greater predictor of risk for coronary heart disease; whereas, in hypertensives over the age of 60, that predictor is an elevated systolic blood pressure (i.e., >140 mm Hg). Despite the increase in the rate of coronary heart disease, controlling modifiable risk factors has shown that cardiovascular disease can be prevented. Hypertension is one of those modifiable risk factors.