Blood Pressure Control: Which Patients May Benefit Most From Specific Strategies?

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How should clinicians think about hypertension in 2026?

In this episode of Voice of Stroke, we explore recent evidence addressing one of the most important questions in vascular prevention: not simply whether to lower blood pressure, but which treatments work best, who should be treated, and how hypertension-related vascular disease may influence stroke mechanisms and secondary prevention.

This episode discusses:

  • Meta-analyses evaluating the efficacy and tolerability of antihypertensive drugs and combinations
  • Blood pressure lowering in isolated diastolic hypertension
  • An exploratory analysis of the ARCADIA trial examining high-risk hypertension features and recurrent stroke prevention

Featuring discussion of recent studies published in The Lancet, JAMA, European Heart Journal and JAMA Neurology.

Written by Voice of Stroke Podcast Editor-In-Chief Linxin Li and Co-Editor Maria Magdalena Gabriel.

Read the full transcript here.

References

  • Ridha M et al. Hypertension With High-Risk Features in Cryptogenic Stroke: An Exploratory Analysis of the ARCADIA Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurology. 2026.
  • Bidel Z et al. Blood pressure lowering in isolated diastolic hypertension and cardiovascular risk: an individual patient data meta-analysis. European Heart Journal. 2026.
  • Wang N et al. Blood pressure-lowering efficacy of antihypertensive drugs and their combinations. The Lancet. 2025.
  • Wang N et al. Adverse Effects and Treatment Discontinuation of Blood Pressure-Lowering Drugs and Combinations. JAMA. 2026.
  • Blood Pressure Treatment Efficacy Calculator: https://www.bpmodel.org/blood-pressure-treatment-efficacy-calculator/