November 3, 2025
Longer Duration of Hypertension Increases Stroke Risk Despite Treatment: Data from the REGARDS Study
As identified in the “2024 Guideline for the Primary Prevention of Stroke: A Guideline From the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association,” management of blood pressure is considered one of the eight important strategies to close the “prevention gap” for acute stroke.1 There are limited published data regarding the impact of hypertension duration, particularly on stroke risk and impact of blood pressure control. Howard et al. sought to address these questions in their study using data from the REGARDS Study, a USA, population-based, longitudinal study of 30,000 people with equal representation of sex and race (Black and non-Hispanic White).2 The primary aim was to assess the association of duration of hypertension on stroke risk when adjusted for systolic blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors.