In a multicenter database of more than 3,000 people with aneurysms registered between 2016 and 2021, rupture rates were 23.4% in RAAS inhibitor users and 76.6% in those who did not. use.
An aneurysm is a bulge or weakening in the wall of an artery, and if this occurs in a brain artery, it is called an intracranial aneurysm. However, when an intracranial aneurysm ruptures, it spills blood around the brain and cuts off oxygen to the affected area, which can cause hemorrhagic stroke, coma, and even death.
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These strokes account for 3-5 percent of all strokes. About 30,000 adults in the United States have an intracranial aneurysm that ruptures each year, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. In addition, stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States.
“About half of patients with an intracranial aneurysm have high blood pressure, which can cause vasculitis and increase the risk of aneurysm rupture.
Study senior author Qinghai Huang, MD, PhD, professor of neurosurgery at Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University in Shanghai, China.
While conducting the study, the researchers analyzed data collected from 2016 to 2021 at 20 medical centers in different regions across China, collected before and after rupture, to evaluated the association between the use of RAAS inhibitors and other blood pressure medications, including beta-blockers and diuretics, on the risk of aneurysm rupture.
The scientists found that 32% of participants taking RAAS inhibitors had ruptured intracranial aneurysms, compared with 67% of those not taking RAAS inhibitors.
“We were surprised to find that even among people with controlled hypertension, those taking RAAS inhibitors had a significantly lower risk of vessel rupture compared with those not taking RAAS inhibitors. .
Our study highlights that the use of appropriate antihypertensive drugs to achieve blood pressure normalization can significantly reduce the risk of aneurysm rupture,” Huang said.
Women’s risk of aneurysm rupture is 1.8 times higher than men’s, and the following factors increase the risk of aneurysm rupture: uncontrolled hypertension; exposure to secondhand smoke; and untreated type 2 diabetes.
“These findings confirm previous studies that have shown that in addition to controlling blood pressure, stopping smoking and aggressively treating Type 2 diabetes can also help reduce the risk of aneurysms rupture.
However, more research is needed to understand how RAAS inhibitors are involved in preventing rupture of intracranial aneurysms in adults with high blood pressure,” Huang said.
Source: Medindia
