According to the new research, people with occasionally high blood pressure are more at risk of stroke than those with consistently high readings. Current guidelines focus on measuring average blood pressure levels to spot and prevent the chance of a stroke. But research suggests doctors should no longer ignore variation in test results and give drugs that produce the most steady blood pressure levels.

In the first of the series of studies published in The Lancet, UK and Swedish researchers looked at the variability in blood pressure readings at doctors’ checks. They found those with fluctuating readings at different GP visits had the greatest risk of future stroke regardless of what their average blood pressure reading was.

Professor Peter Rothwell of the Department of Clinical Neurology at the University of Oxford, who led the research, said that rapid fluctuations that can cause turbulent flow of blood which can cause damage and stiffening in the arteries. Anyone with high blood pressure who tests themselves at home might want to mention to their GP if they spot variations in their results.

With this new research it is now important that the clinical guidelines about treating high blood pressure are reviewed. In the meantime, urging GPs to read this research to help them prescribe the best treatment for people at risk of stroke.

Experts stressed that those already prescribed medication for high blood pressure should not worry or stop taking their pills. Current practice is not wrong, but this might add a new measure to help doctors make decisions on who to treat for hypertension and which drug to use.

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