Variable Hypertension

High blood pressure, or hypertension, increases the risk of heart attack or stroke. Some individuals have blood pressure that remains high all of the time. Others experience periodic episodes during which blood pressure spikes and then returns to normal levels, a condition known as variable hypertension. Research conducted by Dr. Peter Rothwell, a professor of neurology at Oxford University, reveals that variable high blood pressure may not be as harmless as once thought, according to a report from Health.com.

Hypertension

• A blood pressure reading consists of a top number over a bottom number. The top number, the systolic blood pressure, reveals the amount of pressure on blood vessels when the heart beats. The bottom number, the diastolic blood pressure, indicates the amount of pressure on the blood vessels when the heart rests. According to the American Heart Association, a reading above 140/90 indicates hypertension.

Variable Hypertension Risks

• Variable hypertension may increase stroke risk. According to Dr. Rothwell, patients with the greatest variation in systolic blood pressure over seven visits to their physicians were six times more likely to experience a major stroke. Risk of stroke increased 15 times in those individuals with the highest readings.

Treatment

• Variable hypertension requires a physician's attention to determine if treatment is necessary. Unfortunately, blood pressure medications currently on the market affect the condition differently. Dr. Rothwell claims that calcium channel blockers and thiazide diuretics reduce blood pressure fluctuations and beta blockers increase them. He sees a need for blood pressure medications with the ability to stabilize pressure variations without lowering blood pressure.