Diagnosis and treatment of concomitant hypertension and stroke.

There remains nearly a twofold increase in blacks compared with whites for stroke mortality. The death rate from cerebral hemorrhage in blacks approximates twice that of whites. Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a frequent cause of mortality and morbidity in stroke and is also about twice as frequent in blacks. Lacunar strokes occur more in blacks reflecting increased incidence of hypertension and are leading causes of multi-infarct encephalopathy and dementia. Therefore, the concomitant occurrence of hypertension and stroke is most common in African Americans and requires diagnosis of the type of stroke, which then defines the rationale of blood pressure control. Cerebral vascular changes associated with acute, chronic, and reactive hypertension are operative. When to treat, when not to treat, and the appropriateness of specific antihypertensive agents in acute stroke are relevant. A common misconception is that the increased blood pressure is the cause of the stroke when it is likely the result of the stroke. Lowering the blood pressure in all acute stroke patients with elevated blood pressure may worsen the neurologic deficit. Thus, the judicious control of blood pressure is to be stressed in the concomitant occurrence of hypertension and stroke.