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Blood pressure reduction and noncontrast CT markers of intracerebral hemorrhage expansion

Morotti A, Boulouis G, Romero JM, Brouwers HB, Jessel MJ, Vashkevich A, Schwab K, Afzal MR et al.

Neurology, 2017

989 participants · 125 citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To validate various noncontrast CT (NCCT) predictors of hematoma expansion in a large international cohort of ICH patients and investigate whether intensive blood pressure (BP) treatment reduces ICH growth and improves outcome in patients with these markers.

METHODS: We analyzed patients enrolled in the Antihypertensive Treatment of Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage II (ATACH-II) randomized controlled trial. Participants were assigned to intensive (systolic BP 33% and unfavorable outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale score >3 at 90 days. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of ICH expansion and explore the association between NCCT signs and clinical benefit from intensive BP treatment.

RESULTS: A total of 989 patients were included (mean age 62 years, 61.9% male), of whom 186/869 experienced hematoma expansion (21.4%) and 361/952 (37.9%) had unfavorable outcome. NCCT markers independently predicted ICH expansion (all p 0.6 for all markers). There was no evidence of an interaction between NCCT markers and benefit from intensive BP reduction (all p for interaction >0.10).

CONCLUSIONS: NCCT signs reliably identify ICH patients at high risk of hematoma growth. However, we found no evidence that patients with these markers specifically benefit from intensive BP reduction.

CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: NCT01176565.

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 989 participants or records.

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