Their findings were striking. Psaty and his team concluded that uncontrolled high blood pressure raised the odds for ischemic stroke 1.5 times and for hemorrhagic stroke 3.0 times, compared to controls. And the higher the blood pressure, the greater the stroke risk in both men and women, regardless of age. Overall, they estimate that a third of strokes could have been avoided by better control of blood pressure. Keeping it down Patients who are prescribed drugs for high blood pressure may fail to lower their blood pressure for several reasons.
Some people have pressure that is hard to bring under control even with drugs.
Others don't take their medication regularly because of side effects, so their pressure may increase rapidly if they skip a dose. Lastly, because high blood pressure shows no obvious symptoms, patients may think that they don't need the drugs any longer, especially if they begin to feel better. Or, patients might want to invest in a home monitor, usually available at drug stores, and occasionally ask their doctor to check it for accuracy. Taking readings two to three times a week is extremely helpful, Psaty says. For one thing, some patients get nervous and their blood pressure shoots up just from coming to a doctor's office.