Publisher's Synopsis
The themes of this publication are the assessment of risk for stroke and the selection of appropriate prophylactic strategies for persons at risk. A review of new noninvasive techniques for assessing the anatomy and function of arteries to the brain is followed by an evaluation of the efficacy of ultra-sound examination for detecting emboli which could be markers for the evolution of atherosclerotic plaques, and their relationship to the risk of stroke. This discussion sets the scene for the third papers which reviews the place of carotid endarterectomy in the management of moderate-to-severe asymptomatic stenoses. Additionally, there is a focus on the potential utility of adding cytoprotective agents to existing therapies in the management of persons at high risk for ischemic stroke. This leads to an update on the practical and clinical issues of anti-platelet therapy in stroke prevention. Finally, several recent trials of anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs in stroke prevention on persons with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation are reviewed.
