Potential beneficial effects of urapidil in primary and secondary prevention of stroke.

Stroke is a partly preventable neurological disease associated with excessive economic cost. Adequate prevention of stroke and sufficient therapy in the acute phase will help to reduce the heavy burden of morbidity and severe economic impact. Hypertension as such, and even more so stroke itself, are known to influence cerebral autoregulation in a negative sense. With respect to the prevention of stroke, antihypertensive therapy should be accompanied by attempts to inhibit of atherogenesis, for instance via improvements of the lipid profile (lowering of LDL, elevation of HDL) or via inhibition of platelet aggregation. In conditions of acute stroke, a pharmacologically induced rise in intracranial pressure should be avoided, whereas cerebral perfusion pressure must be maintained. If possible, ischaemic tolerance should be increased. Also with respect to the secondary prevention of stroke, antihypertensive therapy should be aiming at maintaining cerebral blood flow, whereas the progression of atherosclerotic lesions should be impaired as much as possible. Urapidil may be characterised as a peripheral alpha 1-adrenoceptor blocker with additional sympathoinhibitory effect, triggered by the stimulation of central 5HT1A-receptors. Urapidil, well documented as an effective antihypertensive agent in short- and long-term trials, also showed beneficial influence in the acute phase of stroke. After 3 years of treatment with urapidil (60 mg b.i.d.), the total cardiovascular risk proved reduced by 26%. In addition, urapidil influenced lipid profile, glucose metabolism, and platelet aggregation favourably in hypertensive patients. In animal experiments, urapidil improved the ischaemic tolerance of the brain. Taken together it would seem worthwhile to investigate urapidil as a possibly beneficial agent in the treatment of acute stroke, as well as in secondary prevention of this condition.