Lightning Oral Presentation Australian and New Zealand Stroke Organisation Conference 2026

Blood Pressure Variability during Early Mobility Training After Acute Ischaemic Stroke: secondary analysis from the AVERT DOSE Trial (139380)

Lilian B Carvalho 1 , Asalet A Gup 1 2 , Fiona Ellery 1 , Emily Ramage 1 , Leonid Churilov 3 , Julie Bernhardt 1 , on Behalf of the AVERT DOSE Trial Collaboration 1
  1. The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
  2. Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Muğla, Türkiye
  3. University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Background

Blood pressure (BP) variability during early mobility training in acute ischaemic stroke remains poorly characterised, yet understanding these responses is critical for optimising clinical safety and informing rehabilitation decision-making.

Aims

This study examines BP responses to positional changes during early mobility training (upright, task-specific) in acute ischaemic stroke and explores the influence of clinical and stroke-related characteristics.

Methods

This secondary analysis examined physiological data from the international AVERT DOSE1 adaptive randomised controlled trial of early mobility training in mild to moderate acute ischaemic stroke. Participants received upright, task-specific mobility training initiated within 48 hours of stroke onset. Systolic and diastolic BP, heart rate, and oxygen saturation were measured at standardised body positions before, during, and after the first mobility training session of the day across the first three days of early mobility following recruitment. Primary outcomes were within-session and between-session changes in systolic BP across predefined body positions. Secondary outcomes included variability in physiological responses and their associations with clinical characteristics, such as age, stroke severity, pre-stroke fitness level, and tPA administration.

Results

Data from 983 participants (recruitment closed, data entry and validation ongoing) indicate median BP values remained broadly similar across repeated measurement points, despite substantial interindividual variability. Across successive sessions, BP responses appear increasingly stable.

Conclusion

This represents the largest dataset to date examining BP variability during early mobility training after acute ischaemic stroke. Further analyses will characterise haemodynamic responses and their relationship with age, stroke severity, pre-stroke fitness, and reperfusion status, thereby optimising early rehabilitation protocols.