Older Irish patients at risk of recurrent stroke

Irish stroke patients remain at risk of another cerebrovascular accident due to a high prevalence of smoking, uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes, high cholesterol and body mass index (BMI), Irish researchers have found. The RCSI ASPIRE-S (Action on Secondary Prevention Interventions and Rehab-ilitation in Stroke) study found that six months post-stroke, 68 per cent of patients had a BMI greater than 25; 63 per cent had uncontrolled hypertension; 23 per cent had high cholesterol levels; 16 per cent were still smoking; and 28 per cent of patients with diabetes had poor control of their condition. Head of the RCSI Department of…