[Secondary stroke and its prevention in patients with arterial hypertension].

An analysis of 650 patients (350 female and 300 male, mean age 70.7 +/- 8.1 years) with ischemic stroke on the background of arterial hypertension and cerebral atherosclerosis revealed that secondary ischemic stroke occurred in 25% of all the cases with lethality 1.5 times higher than in the initial stroke and more severe disability. Follow-up study of 50 patients with secondary stroke on the background of arterial hypertension during 1 year and 8 months showed high rates of stroke (28%) and cardiac infarction (8%) and mortality in both diseases of 22%. In the subgroup of patients, receiving regularly antihypertensive and antithrombotic medications, morbidity and mortality of ischemic stroke and cardiac infarction were significantly lower then in the subgroup without the regular treatment. A regular intake of antihypertensive and antithrombotic medications was considered as a favorable prognostic factor of the disease course. Follow-up (mean 1 year and 1 month) of 90 primary ischemic stroke survivors with arterial hypertension demonstrated significantly lower incidence of secondary stroke (8.8%) and mortality (2.2%). Cases of cardiac infarctions were not observed. Most of the patients began a regular intake of antihypertensive and antithrombotic drugs after physician's secondary consultations and explanations of regular treatment necessity. In rehabilitative centers, patients stick to regular treatment more often.