Antihypertensive Drugs for Secondary Prevention After Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and purpose: Approximately 30% of ischemic strokes occur after a previous stroke or transient ischemic attack. Arterial hypertension is one of the best established risk factors for first and recurrent stroke, both ischemic and hemorrhagic. Guidelines for the secondary prevention of ischemic stroke support the use of blood pressure (BP)-lowering drugs in most patients. However, the evidence for these recommendations comes from meta-analyses that included both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients, whereas these 2 conditions differ quantitatively in several aspects. With this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed at summarizing the current evidence on BP-lowering drugs for secondary prevention in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to January 31, 2020. We included randomized controlled trials comparing any specific BP-lowering drug, as monotherapy or combination, with either a control or another BP-lowering drug.

Results: Eight studies that enrolled 33 774 patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack were included in the meta-analysis. Mean follow-up was 25 months (range, 3-48). Moderate-quality evidence indicated that a subsequent stroke occurred in 7.9% (ischemic in 7.4% or hemorrhagic in 0.6%) of patients taking any type of BP-lowering drug compared with 9.7% of patients taking placebo (odds ratio, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.66-0.94]; absolute risk difference, -1.9% [95% CI, -3.1% to -0.5%]). Moderate-quality evidence indicated that mortality occurred similarly in patients taking any type of BP-lowering treatment compared with placebo, with an absolute risk of 7.3% and 7.9%, respectively (odds ratio, 1.01 [95% CI, 0.92-1.10]; absolute risk difference, 0.1% [95% CI, -0.6% to 0.7%]).

Conclusions: The use of BP-lowering drugs in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack is associated with a 1.9% risk reduction of stroke but does not affect the all-cause mortality risk.