[Secondary prevention of stroke through arterial blood pressure reduction].
Large scale observational studies have conclusively demonstrated that systolic and diastolic blood pressure values are linearly related to the incidence of cerebrovascular diseases and that high blood pressure is an important risk factor for both primary and secondary development of stroke. Interventional studies have shown that blood pressure lowering by antihypertensive treatment reduces the incidence of stroke in hypertensive patients without a history of previous stroke. Whether this is the case also for the secondary prevention of cerebral ischemic attacks has not been unequivocally shown, however. The PROGRESS ("Perindopril Protection Against Recurrent Stroke Study") study has been designed and is under way to collect information on this important issue of the antihypertensive treatment, its purpose being to evaluate the blood pressure lowering effects with an ACE-inhibitor on recurrent stroke in an overall population of 6000 patients with a positive history of previous cerebral ischemic attacks or stroke.
Mancia
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Cattedra di Medicina Interna I, Ospedale S Gerardo dei Tintori, Monza.
Grassi
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D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*