Efficacy of Nitric Oxide in Stroke - a randomized trial. Characteristics of patients recruited in Poland.
OBJECTIVE
High blood pressure is frequent in patients with acute stroke. It frequently returns back to normal values within the first days after onset. It is not yet established whether it requires treatment or not. The Efficacy of Nitric Oxide in Stroke (ENOS) trial aims to assess the efficacy of transdermal glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) patches versus control and stopping or continuing antihypertensive treatments in stroke. The rationale for the study is presented and characteristics of patients recruited in Poland and elsewhere compared.


METHODS
Patients were recruited to the ENOS study by 1 November, 2007. Baseline characteristics and outcome at 90 days were compared.


RESULTS
Of 783 patients overall, 78 patients were recruited in Poland. The age of the patients was similar in the two groups (70.0 vs. 69.1 years). There were fewer males among Polish patients (46.8% vs. 58.3%) and fewer intracranial haemorrhages (3.8% vs. 16.7%). There were more patients with no lesions on CT (41.8% vs. 19.3%). Polish patients more frequently had hypertension (76.0% vs. 66.4%) and subsequently more frequently had antihypertensive treatment (60.8% vs. 45.3%) and nitrates (10.1% vs. 5.0%). The number of patients independent after 3 months was similar.


CONCLUSIONS
Polish patients are slightly different from those treated in other countries, but at the moment the patient groups are too small to fully compare patient characteristics in different countries. The trial is ongoing and more centres are welcome to join.
II Klinika Neurologii, Instytut Psychiatrii i Neurologii, w Warszawie. akobayas@ipin.edu.pl
Adam
A
Kobayashi
Anna
A
Członkowska
Katarzyna
K
Grabska
Jacek
J
Staszewski
Jerzy
J
Kotowicz
Laura J
LJ
Gray
Philip M W
PM
Bath
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011044:Poland; D017678:Sex Distribution; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D005996:Nitroglycerin