Effect of premorbid hypertension control on outcome of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Hypertension is common in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, it is still unclear whether premorbid antihypertensive therapy can help to reduce the risk of severe aneurysmal bleeding. Therefore, this study aims to assess the effect of premorbid hypertension control on outcome of patients with aneurysmal SAH.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of patients with intracranial aneurysms admitted to our institution from February 2012 to December 2017. Based on premorbid hypertension history and use of antihypertensive agents, all patients with aneurysmal SAH were divided into antihypertensive group and uncontrolled group. Patient characteristics, imaging features, clinical complication, and outcome were analyzed between the two groups.

RESULTS: A total of 348 patients with ruptured aneurysms were included in this study. Compared to those with premorbid controlled hypertension, patients with premorbid uncontrolled hypertension presented worse clinical grade, with more severe aneurysmal SAH and more frequent intracerebral hematoma. Patients receiving a treatment for ACEI type or ARB type of drugs in the antihypertensive group suffered from less amount of aneurysmal bleeding, while patients with grade 3 hypertension in the uncontrolled group suffered from more amount of aneurysmal bleeding. Patients with premorbid controlled hypertension had a lower incidence of rebleeding, hydrocephalus, and cerebral vasospasm, and had a lower rate of disability and mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: Premorbid hypertension control is associated with favorable clinical outcome of patients with aneurysmal SAH. Besides, the ACEI type or ARB type of antihypertensive agents is associated with the less amount of bleeding after aneurysm rupture.