Evidence mapPaperPMID 41614481Full record

SynthesisEuropean stroke journal2026

Prehospital blood pressure lowering in acute hemorrhagic stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.

Aikaterini Theodorou, Konstantinos Melanis, Lina Palaiodimou, Georgia Papagiannopoulou, Eleni Bakola, Maria Chondrogianni, Apostolos Safouris, Alexandra Frogoudaki, Ioanna Koutroulou, Theodoros Karapanayiotides and 7 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European stroke journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Aikaterini TheodorouSecond Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Konstantinos MelanisSecond Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Lina PalaiodimouSecond Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.ORCID 0000-0001-7757-609X
Georgia PapagiannopoulouSecond Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Eleni BakolaSecond Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Maria ChondrogianniSecond Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Apostolos SafourisSecond Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Alexandra FrogoudakiSecond Department of Cardiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Ioanna KoutroulouSecond Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Theodoros KarapanayiotidesSecond Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Effrosyni KoutsourakiFirst Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Silke WalterNeurology, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany.
Maren Ranhoff HovDepartment of Research, Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, Oslo, Norway.
Janika KõrvDepartment of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
Else Charlotte SandsetDepartment of Research, Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, Oslo, Norway.
Efstathios ManiosDepartment of Clinical Therapeutics, "Alexandra" General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Georgios TsivgoulisSecond Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.ORCID 0000-0002-0640-3797

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionElevated blood pressure (BP) in acute hemorrhagic stroke has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Limited data from randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) indicate that early BP management, in the prehospital setting, may be safe and beneficial. We sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of prehospital BP-lowering in acute hemorrhagic stroke when compared to usual care. PATIENTS AND

methodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis including available RCTs evaluating prehospital BP-lowering among acute hemorrhagic stroke patients. The pooled risk ratio (RR) of a 3-month good functional outcome, defined as modified-Rankin-Scale scores of 0-2 and all-cause 3-month mortality were the primary efficacy and safety outcomes, respectively. Secondary outcomes included the pooled RR of hematoma expansion (HE) and serious adverse events (SAEs).

resultsA total of four RCTs were included, comprising 642 patients treated with prehospital BP-lowering therapies and 617 patients receiving usual care. Prehospital BP-lowering was associated with similar rates of good functional outcome (RR: 1.07; 95% CI, 0.52-2.19) and all-cause mortality (RR: 0.90; 95% CI, 0.60-1.35) at 3 months, compared to usual care. The risk of SAEs (RR: 0.97; 95% CI, 0.74-1.26) and HE (RR: 1.05; 95% CI, 0.45-2.46) did not significantly differ between the two groups. Subgroup analyses revealed the superiority of the α-adrenoreceptor blocker urapidil compared to glyceryl trinitrate in terms of reducing SAE risk and HE.

conclusionOur meta-analysis indicates that prehospital BP-lowering in acute hemorrhagic stroke does not improve functional outcome and survival. Future RCTs conducted in mobile stroke units, and exclusively focusing on patients with acute hemorrhagic stroke, are required.

Indexed as

Antihypertensive AgentsBlood PressureEmergency Medical ServicesHemorrhagic StrokeHypertensionStrokeHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTreatment OutcomeAntihypertensive Agentsblood pressurehemorrhagic strokemeta-analysisprehospital management

Identifiers

PMID41614481
PMCPMC12866655

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.