Blood pressure variability (BPV) has been linked with the outcome of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). However, the association of the stroke outcome with specific short-term BPV parameters is unclear. We did a systematic literature search for studies published from January 2010 to September 2020. Eligibility criteria included studies with (1) AIS patients treated with EVT with or without thrombolysis; and (2) analysis of the association between short-term systolic BPV parameter and clinical outcomes. Systolic BPV parameters included standard deviation (SD), coefficient of Variation (CoV), successive Variation (SV), and Variation independent of mean. A total of 11 studies were meta-analyzed, comprising 3520 patients who underwent EVT. Lower odds of achieving good functional outcome at 3 months; that is, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤2 was associated with SD (OR, 0.854; p = .02), CoV (OR, 0.572; p = .04), SV (OR 0.41; p = .00) of systolic blood pressure (SBP). Likewise, higher odds of one-point increase in mRS score was associated with SD (OR 1.42; p = .03), CoV (OR 1.464; p = .00) and SV (OR 2.605; p = .00) of SBP. However, high BPV was not associated with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and all-cause mortality at 90 days. The association of BPV and early neurological deterioration was inconclusive. Based on the available studies, short-term systolic BPV is indicative of the clinical outcome of patients following EVT in AIS. Further research should focus on personalized blood pressure management strategies, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Keywords: BPV; blood pressure fluctuations; blood pressure variability; endovascular thrombectomy; ischemic stroke; mechanical thrombectomy; stroke.
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