Epidemiological features of hypertension among ischemic survivors in Northeast China: insights from a population-based study, 2017-2019

Hypertension remains the major modifiable risk factor of stroke recurrence. The study aimed to determine the up-to-date epidemiological features of hypertension among the survivors of ischemic stroke. Our cross-sectional study included 18,796 adults aged ≥40 years and residing in northeast China. Ischemic stroke was diagnosed according to the World Health Organization's criteria, which requires the clinical record, computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during the hospital stay. Hypertension was defined according to the Chinese hypertension guidelines (mean SBP ≥140 mmHg and/or mean DBP ≥90 mmHg, and/or self-reported use of anti-hypertensive medication in the past 2 weeks). Of the 986 survivors of ischemic stroke, 819 (83.1%) were identified with hypertension (535 were pre-stroke hypertension and 284 were post-stroke hypertension). Among hypertensive patients, the awareness and treatment rates were 76.8 and 66.7% respectively. Only 11.0% achieved an appropriate blood pressure (