The relationship between the involved hemisphere of the brain and blood pressure level and pulse rate during admission in acute stroke patients

Abstract

In almost all of patients with acute stroke, blood pressure elevates and this status is associated with an increased sympathetic activity. It has been reported that in the autonomic control of the cardiovascular and baroreceptor systems, the hemispheric laterality (HL) is important. In the literature, in acute stroke, the results of, HL, the involvement of the right, left or both hemispheres causing cardiovascular dysfunction are contradictory. We would like to research the relationship between the involved hemisphere of the brain and blood pressure (BP) level and pulse rate (PR) during admission in acute stroke patients. In this study, we assessed retrospectively the data of involved hemisphere, with admission BP level and PR of patients presenting within the first 24 hours of acute stroke in emergency room. Of 37 patients, 19 had right hemispheric involvement, and 18 had left hemispheric involvement. While in the patients with right hemispheric involvement, main systolic BP was 165,2±31, diastolic BP was 94,7±18 mmHg and PR was 87,4±16/min, in those with left hemispheric involvement, 160,5±40, 90,5±22 mmHg and 83,2±19/min, respectively (p>0.05). Although, we did not detect a significant difference between involved cerebral hemispheres for increased BP and PR values pointing to an alteration in the autonomic activity in the early period of acute stroke, had an idea that the right hemispheric involvement affected these parameters more than other involvements.