What is the effect of telmisartan on functional outcome, recurrence, and blood pressure in patients with acute mild ischemic stroke?
A subgroup analysis of the PRoFESS study found that telmisartan reduced the risk of poor functional outcome, recurrence, and improved blood pressure in patients with acute mild ischemic stroke. The angiotensin-receptor blocker candesartan was found to be beneficial in the SCAST trial, while valsartan was found to have modest benefits in the VENTURE study. Meta-analysis of early ischemic stroke studies showed that lower blood pressure was associated with better outcomes. Clinical trials such as ENOS, QASC, and a cluster-randomized study in India have also found that interventions to manage fever, hyperglycaemia, and swallowing dysfunction have improved outcomes in acute stroke patients.