Effect of short-term blood pressure variability on functional outcome after intra-arterial treatment in acute stroke patients with large-vessel occlusion
Abstract Background : Endovascular treatment (EVT) is advocated for acute ischaemic stroke with large-vessel occlusion (LVO), but perioperative periods are challenging. This study investigated the relationship between post-EVT short-term blood pressure variability (BPV) and early outcomes in LVO patients. Methods : We retrospectively reviewed 72 LVO patients undergoing EVT between June 2015 and June 2018. Hourly systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP, respectively) were recorded in the first 24 hours post-EVT. BPV were evaluated as standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and successive variation (SV) separately for SBP and DBP. Functional independence at 3 months was defined as a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0-2. Results : For 58.3% patients with favorable outcomes, the median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and Alberta Stroke Program Early CT scores on admission were 14 and 8, respectively. The maximum SBP ([154.3±16.8] vs. [163.5±15.6], P=0.02), systolic CV ([8. 8%±2.0%] vs. [11.0%±1.8%], P<0.001), SV ([11.4±2.3] vs. [14.6±2.0], P<0.001), and SD ([10.5±2.4] vs. [13.8±3.9], P<0.001) were lower in patients with favorable outcomes. On multivariable logistic regression analysis, systolic SV (OR: 4.273, 95% CI: 1.030 to 17.727, P=0.045) independently predicted unfavorable prognosis. The area under the curve was 0.868 (95% CI: 0.781 to 0.955, P<0.001), and sensitivity and specificity were 93.3% and 73.8%, respectively, showing excellent predictive value for 3-month poor-outcomes. Conclusions : Decreased systolic SV following intra-arterial therapies result in favorable outcomes at 3 months. Systolic SV may be a novel predictor of functional prognosis in LVO patients.