The authors propose that routine echocardiography in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage could identify hypertensive heart disease and guide targeted antihypertensive therapy for secondary prevention.
Hypothesis-generating for echocardiography-guided therapy in ICH; prospective trials needed before clinical adoption.
Hypertension (HTN) is the most common cause of non-traumatic ICH, yet echocardiography, which can stage hypertensive heart disease (HHD), is not part of the routine evaluation of patients with ICH. Previous studies have shown that angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers are associated with regression of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and reversal of myocardial fibrosis. Improvement in these architectural changes in the heart has been shown to improve outcomes and prevent major adverse cardiac events, including stroke. Obtaining echocardiography on ICH patients routinely could help to access the prevalence of HHD and to tailor antihypertensive regimens in this high risk group of patients. Further study is required to determine whether angiotensin directed therapies provide optimal secondary prevention in ICH patients with HHD.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Albright et al. (2010) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: