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Strokes and high blood pressure
Hypertension (high blood pressure) is an important risk factor for stroke. This is why detecting and treating high blood pressure is so important.
High blood pressure has many harmful effects that can lead to stroke. High blood pressure:
- damages blood vessel walls, making them thick and stiff;
- speeds up the development of heart disease, which can lead to stroke;
- can cause fatty deposits (plaque) and blood clots to break off artery walls and block a brain artery; and
- increases pressure on artery walls, so that arteries in the brain are more likely to bleed.
To reduce your risk of high blood pressure leading to a stroke:
- Find out your blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is around 120/80 mmHg. If your blood pressure is consistently 140/90 mmHg or higher then you have high blood pressure. The lower your blood pressure, the lower your risk of stroke.
- Make changes to your lifestyle to lower your blood pressure. This is especially important if your blood pressure is high (140/90 mmHg or more) or in the high-normal range (below 140/90 mmHg but more than 120/80 mmHg). For example, reduce the amount of salt in your diet, keep a healthy weight and be physically active. Also limit your alcohol intake and don’t smoke.
- If your blood pressure remains high or you have other risk factors for stroke, your doctor may suggest that you take medicines to lower your blood pressure. It is important to keep taking these medicines regularly – make sure you don’t run out or forget to take them.
- Have regular checks of your blood pressure to make sure it remains in the normal range or is adequately controlled.
Last Reviewed: 09 March 2011
- 1. National Stroke Foundation. Risk factors for stroke (updated 1 Apr 2009). http://www.strokefoundation.com.au/stroke-risk-factors-general-information (accessed Jan 2011).
2. National Stroke Foundation. Make yourself strokesafe. Understand and prevent stroke (Aug 2009). http://www.strokefoundation.com.au/preventing-a-stroke (accessed Jan 2011).
3. National Heart Foundation of Australia (National Blood Pressure and Vascular Disease Advisory Committee). Guide to management of hypertension 2008 (updated Aug 2009). Web version, 2009. http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/A_Hypert_Guidelines2008_2009Update_FINAL.pdf (accessed Jan 2011).
4. MayoClinic.com. High blood pressure (hypertension) (published 21 Jan 2011). http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure/HI00062 (accessed Jan 2011).
5. MayoClinic.com. Stroke (published 1 Jul 2011). http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stroke/DS00150 (accessed Jan 2011).
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