Targeted blood pressure control may reduce repeat stroke risk after intracerebral haemorrhage, a meta-analysis of nearly 3,000 patients suggests.
Intracerebral haemorrhage, or ICH, is a type of haemorrhagic stroke caused by bleeding within the brain.
Patients receiving intensive blood pressure-lowering treatment had a 38 per cent lower risk of recurrent stroke than those receiving less intensive treatment or standard antihypertensive care.
Craig Anderson, senior professorial fellow at The George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, Australia, said: “Intracerebral haemorrhage is one of the deadliest forms of stroke, with limited treatment options and a high risk of recurrence among survivors.
“Our analysis shows that intensive blood pressure treatment can prevent 16 recurrent strokes for every 1,000 patients treated within the first year alone. These findings reinforce the central role of blood pressure control in secondary stroke prevention.”
Australian researchers analysed four randomised controlled trials involving 2,944 adults with ICH, with follow-up lasting up to six years.
Two trials involved fixed-dose antihypertensive treatments, while two assessed strategies based on defined blood pressure targets. Antihypertensive treatments are medicines used to lower high blood pressure.
Recurrent stroke of any type occurred in 6.5 per cent of patients receiving intensive blood pressure-lowering therapy, compared with 10.4 per cent of those receiving less intensive treatment or standard care.
The researchers said this amounted to a 38 per cent reduction in recurrent stroke risk, which they attributed to intensive treatment helping to prevent recurrent haemorrhage.
There was no significant difference in serious adverse events between the two groups.
Haemorrhagic strokes account for around 15 per cent of all strokes, with ICH making up about two-thirds of haemorrhagic strokes, according to the Stroke Association.
Brain Research UK says strokes of all types cause around 34,000 deaths each year in the UK.
Paul Wright, consultant cardiovascular pharmacist at Barts Health NHS Trust in London, described the findings as “impactful and interesting, although we have known for some time that lower is better”.
He added: “Part of the problem though, is how you translate that into practise.”
Wright said the challenge was achieving lower blood pressure without causing adverse effects, although the study showed a reduction in recurrent stroke alongside limited adverse effects.
The findings follow a study published in April 2026 which found that GMRx2, a single-pill combination of three low-dose blood pressure medicines, significantly reduced the risk of another stroke in patients with intracerebral haemorrhage and high blood pressure.
