Chapter 21 Stroke recurrence and prognosis after stroke

Publisher Summary Stroke is a disease characterized by great variability. In some patients, recovery may be complete within a few days and in others, the stroke leads to death or lengthy hospitalization. A stroke signifies risk of recurrence of stroke and of other cardiovascular events. The risk is high and the consequences of another stroke are grave and call for immediate preventive measures. Stroke patients often experience neurological deterioration within the first days and weeks after the stroke. The high risk of stroke recurrence emphasizes the necessity of appropriate and effective preventive strategies in patients with stroke. Proper and rapid preventive management is essential, not only to avoid another stroke. Prevention is needed also because recurrent strokes significantly aggravate outcome. Mortality in patients with recurrent stroke is twice that of patients with first stroke. Initiating preventive treatment very early after the stroke is important because of the very high risk of recurrence in the first days and weeks after the stroke; proper stroke prevention is now as urgent as proper stroke treatment.