Episodic hypertension is a strong predictor of stroke risk

The mechanisms by which hypertension causes vascular events are unclear. Guidelines for diagnosis and treatment focus only on underlying mean blood pressure.

In each TIA cohort in this study, visit-to-visit variability in systolic blood pressure (SBP) was a strong predictor of subsequent stroke (eg, top-decile hazard ratio [HR] for SBP 6·22), independent of mean SBP.

Maximum SBP reached was also a strong predictor of stroke (HR 15).

Visit-to-visit variability in SBP on treatment was also a strong predictor of stroke and coronary events (top-decile HR for stroke: 3·25) independent of mean SBP.

Visit-to-visit variability in SBP and maximum SBP are strong predictors of stroke, independent of mean SBP. Increased residual variability in SBP in patients with treated hypertension is associated with a high risk of vascular events.

References:

Prognostic significance of visit-to-visit variability, maximum systolic blood pressure, and episodic hypertension. The Lancet, Volume 375, Issue 9718, Pages 895 - 905, 13 March 2010.

Image source: BP device used for measuring arterial pressure. Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License.

Erectile dysfunction is a strong predictor of death in men with cardiovascular disease

From CNN:

Men with cardiovascular disease and ED were twice as likely to die from all causes than men who did not have erectile dysfunction. And those with ED were 1.6 times more likely to suffer from a serious cardiovascular problem such as a heart attack or stroke.

Erectile dysfunction is something that regularly should be addressed in the medical history of patients; it might be a symptom of early atherosclerosis.

Men with ED who are going to a general practitioner or a urologist need to be referred for a cardiology workup to determine existing cardiovascular disease and proper treatment. ED is an early predictor of cardiovascular disease.

References:
Study: Erectile dysfunction may indicate heart disease, death risk - CNN.com.

ED, Depression, Heart Disease: Does the Existence of One Component of This Triad Necessitate Inquiring the Other Two? http://goo.gl/EKvKl

Image source: Viagra (sildenafil), Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License.