Blood pressure changes during convalescence after myocardial infarction.

We have retrospectively studied changes in blood pressure from CCU admission to the end of convalescence after myocardial infarction in 72 consecutive patients less than or equal to 70 years, who did not receive hypotensive therapy before or during the period of observation. Besides confirming previous observations of an initial fall and subsequent rise in blood pressure we have, in addition, identified a difference in response after large compared with smaller infarcts. The rise in systolic blood pressure after larger infarcts appears to be delayed and is greater after leaving hospital (23.3 +/- 18.5 mmHg) (3.09 +/- 2.46 kPa) than after small infarcts (14.4 +/- 19.6 mmHg) (1.91 +/- 2.6 kPa), p less than 0.05. The results emphasise the importance of checking blood pressure during convalescence following a myocardial infarction particularly after larger infarcts.