Correlation between 24-h ambulatory blood pressure variability and cerebral microbleeds in patients with ischemic stroke

Objective To investigate the correlation between 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) variability and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods Consecutive inpatients with acute ischemic stroke were prospectively enrolled. 24-h ambulatory BP was monitored. Magnetic susceptibility-weighted imaging was used to evaluate CMBs and their locations. Univariate analysis was used to compare the baseline data between the CMBs group and the non-CMBs group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent correlation between ambulatory BP related indexes and CMBs. Results A total of 178 patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled, including 114 males, aged 67.6±10.8 years, and 90 (50.6%) with CMBs. The proportion of hypertension and asymptomatic lacunar infarction, periventricular and deep white matter high signal score, 24-h, daytime, nighttime mean systolic and diastolic BP, 24-h, and daytime systolic BP variability in the CMBs group were significantly higher than those in the non-CMB group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that 24-h systolic BP variability (odds ratio 1.133, 95% confidence interval 1.023-1.255; P=0.016) and daytime mean systolic BP (odds ratio 1.045, 95% confidence interval 1.022-1.069; P<0.001) had significant independent correlation with CMBs. Conclusion 24-h systolic BP variability and daytime mean systolic BP were the independent risk factors for CMBs in patients with acute ischemic stroke.