Hypertension as the Major Cause of Stroke

The aim of this manuscript was to point out the relevance of the clinical aspects of stroke based on several clinical studies. We carried out a retrospective data collection study in 433 patients with cerebrovascular disease,which represent 7% of all patients admitted to our Service of Internal Medicine between 1979-1985. In this particular study the most frequent risk factor found was hypertension, 64.7% which represents the total median value (in men and women) of Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), full stroke, and stroke in evolution. In another recent cross-sectional investigation carried out in 243 patients admitted with ischemic stroke, the most common modifiable risk factors were hypertension (72.1%), followed by diabetes (51.7%), and dyslipidemia(28.5%). Patients older than 60 years with isolated systolic hypertension constitutes a special group of population susceptible to disorders of the central nervous system. In our experience,a more effective antihypertensive treatment is needed to prevent this serious clinical situation in these patients.