Abstract:Stroke is a common cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease characterized by high incidence, high disability, and high mortality rates, with multiple risk factors and complex underlying mechanisms. Elevated blood pressure is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for stroke, while central arterial pressure and arterial stiffness reflect large-artery function and structure and may provide additional information for stroke risk assessment. In addition, metabolic abnormalities, particularly insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, may aggravate vascular injury and further increase the risk of stroke. This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the roles of central arterial pressure and arterial stiffness in the development and progression of stroke and discusses their potential implications from the perspectives of epidemiology, population-based cohort studies, pathophysiological mechanisms, and cardiometabolism, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for optimizing primary prevention and individualized precision management of stroke.