ABSTRACT
Evidence of efficacy was published in 1995 and license was granted for use in the United States in 1997 and in Europe in 2002. No data exist to suggest benefit from weight reduction in obese individuals with stroke, but given the benefits on metabolic parameters such as lipid levels and blood pressure, guidelines suggest weight management is encouraged through lifestyle measures. Arterial hypertension occurs in as many as 80% of patients following acute stroke and is associated with a poor outcome. Thrombolytic therapy with tissue plasminogen activator is the only licensed treatment for acute ischemic stroke in Europe, where it must be administered within three hours of symptom onset. Aspirin is the only licensed strategy for the primary prevention of stroke. Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel has been compared to warfarin and offers inferior stroke protection at the cost of a similar burden of bleeding complications.
