Systolic blood pressure (the top number of your blood pressure reading) is an important predictor of stroke risk, according to a report in the April issue of the American Journal of Hypertension. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examined data from the Second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II) Mortality Study, which included 3,295 men and 3,462 women. During a median follow-up of nearly 15 years, 113 fatal strokes occurred. Results of the CDC study show that for every 10 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure, the relative risk of stroke was 1.19 times greater for men, 1.15 for women.
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