PROGRESS in the secondary prevention of stroke

PROGRESS in the secondary prevention of stroke Scott W Muir, Kennedy R Lees Over the last 10 years there has been considerable progress in the development of secondary prevention strategies for ischaemic stroke. No longer is aspirin the cornerstone of stroke secondary prevention. Trials like ESPS-21 and CAPRIE,2 have established the place of antiplatelet agents in secondary prevention. The 4S3 and CARE4 studies, among others, and the recently presented Heart Protection Study5 have alluded to the benefits of statins, not only in the setting of ischaemic heart disease, but now also in the setting of cerebrovascular disease. Until the publication of the PROGRESS study6 in September of last year, the question of blood pressure reduction in the setting of secondary prevention was unanswered and contentious.