New research suggests even a slight hike in blood pressure could put one at risk of suffering a stroke.
Anyone with a blood pressure higher than the "optimal" 120/80 mmHg could be at a higher risk of having a stroke, an American Academy of Neurology news release reported.
A meta-analysis looked at data on people with "prehypertension" or high blood pressure (140/90 mmHg) to see how it affected stroke risk.
The researchers reviewed 19 prospective cohort studies that encompassed over 760,000 participants participants. These study subjects were followed for ranges between four and 36 years. Twenty-five to 54 percent of these participants had pre-high blood pressure.
The team found that people suffering from pre-high blood pressure were 66 percent more likely to suffer a stroke than those with normal blood pressure.
The team found that people with pre-high blood pressure were 66 percent more likely to suffer a stroke than those who had a healthy blood pressure. The team also factored in other risk factors such as "high cholesterol, diabetes and smoking," the news release reported.
About 20 percent of the strokes suffered in the trails were linked to pre-high blood pressure. The participants were divided into two groups, one with low levels of pre-high blood pressure and the others with higher readings in the 130/85 range. Those in the high range had a greater risk of stroke than the participants in the high range. The participants in the high range were a whopping 95 percent more likely to suffer a stroke than those with a healthy blood pressure.
"These findings, if confirmed, have important takeaways for the public," study author Dingli Xu, MD, of Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, said in the news release. "Considering the high proportion of the population who have higher than normal blood pressure, successful treatment of this condition could prevent many strokes and make a major difference in public health."
Blood pressure medication is not recommended for people with pre-high blood pressure.
"Prehypertension should be managed with changes in diet and exercise to help reduce the risk of stroke," Xu said. "More research should be done on using blood pressure drugs for people with prehypertension."
