HOT TOPICS: Early Blood Pressure Variability in Intracerebral Hemorrhage With Wendy Ziai, MD

HOT TOPICS: Early Blood Pressure Variability in Intracerebral Hemorrhage With Wendy Ziai, MD

From Neurocritical Care Society Podcast by Neurocritical Care Society

February 16, 2026 · 14 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of blood pressure variability on outcomes in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

In this episode of the Neurocritical Care Society Podcast Hot Topics series, host Richard Choi, DO, FNCS, speaks with Wendy Ziai, MD, MPH, professor of neurology and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins University, about the article The Association Between Hourly Systolic Blood Pressure Variability and Outcomes in Patients With Intracerebral Hemorrhage Is Time-Dependent: A Post Hoc Analysis of the ATACH-2 Trial , r ecently published in Neurocritical Care . Their discussion explores why blood pressure variability — not just absolute blood pressure targets — may play a critical role in outcomes following acute intracerebral hemorrhage. Dr. Ziai reviews key findings from ATACH-2 and INTERACT trials, the physiologic mechanisms that may link variability to hematoma expansion and neurologic deterioration and why the timing of variability within the first 8 to 12 hours appears especially important. They also examine the unresolved question of causation versus association, implications for antihypertensive management in the ICU and how emerging trials focused on variability may shape future practice. The views expressed on the NCS Podcast are solely those of the hosts and guests and…

People in this episode

Host: Wendy Ziai

Guest: Wendy Ziai Md Mph

Topics covered

  • blood pressure variability
  • intracerebral hemorrhage
  • acute care
  • neurology
  • critical care

Keywords

  • ATACH-2 trial
  • INTERACT trials
  • antihypertensive management
  • neurologic deterioration

Mentioned in this episode

Products: INTERACT

Books & works: The Association Between Hourly Systolic Blood Pressure Variability and Outcomes in Patients With Intracerebral Hemorrhage Is Time-Dependent: A Post Hoc Analysis of the ATACH-2 Trial

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