Oral short-acting antihypertensive medications and the occurrence of stroke: a nationwide case-crossover study

Hypertens Res. 2019 Nov;42(11):1794-1800. doi: 10.1038/s41440-019-0300-0. Epub 2019 Jul 12.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to clarify whether short-acting antihypertensives are associated with the occurrence of ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This was a retrospective case-crossover study using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. We identified all adult patients hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke or ICH between January 2005 and December 2013. For each case, short-term and long-term exposure to short-acting antihypertensives, including nifedipine, labetalol and captopril, during the case vs. control periods were compared, and odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ischemic stroke or ICH were calculated with adjustment for confounders. Among 272785 ischemic stroke and 77798 ICH patients, the mean age was 77.8 ± 14.3 years and 70.8 ± 16.6 years, respectively. The short-term use of the three short-acting antihypertensives were all associated with an increase in the incidence of ischemic stroke (nifedipine: OR 4.51, 95% CIs 3.99-5.11; labetalol: OR 2.07; 95% CIs 1.71-2.51; captopril: OR 1.98, 95% CIs 1.72-2.29) and ICH (nifedipine: OR 2.98, 95% CIs 2.30-3.84; labetalol: OR 2.37; 95% CIs 1.66-3.39; captopril: OR 2.48; 95% CIs 1.69-3.63). The long-term use of short-acting nifedipine for 30 days was associated with a modest increase in the risk for ischemic stroke (OR 1.86; 95% CIs 1.42-2.45). Overall, the short-term use of short-acting antihypertensives is associated with a modest increase in the incidence of stroke, and short-acting nifedipine is linked to a substantial rise in the incidence of ischemic stroke. The long-term use of short-acting nifedipine was also related to an increased incidence of ischemic stroke. Physicians should be cautious of prescribing these short-acting antihypertensives.

Keywords: Intracerebral hemorrhage; Ischemic stroke; Nifedipine; Prevention; Short-acting antihypertensives.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Antihypertensive Agents / adverse effects*
  • Captopril / adverse effects
  • Cerebral Hemorrhage / chemically induced*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Labetalol / adverse effects
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nifedipine / adverse effects
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Stroke / chemically induced*

Substances

  • Antihypertensive Agents
  • Captopril
  • Nifedipine
  • Labetalol