Exploration, Opportunity and Hope: Highlight in International Stroke Conference 2017

International Stroke Conference 2017 was held on Februrary 22-24, 2017 in Houston, USA. The use of antiplatelet agents in ischemic stroke has become the highlight of this conference, and results of several studies were presented during the conference. Triple antiplatelet therapy was not superior to guideline-recommended treatment in preventing recurrent strokes in patients who suffered a recent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Ticagrelor showed stronger efficacy than aspirin in the prevention of recurrent acute stroke or TIA especifically related to ipsilateral atherosclerotic stenosis. The antiplatelet agent cilostazol was noninferior to aspirin in preventing vascular events in patients with a recent ischemic stroke and a history of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) or multiple microbleeds. Patients with mild acute ischemic stroke did not derive more benefit from initiating statins in the first 24 hours after stroke than a week after the event in a randomized controlled study. There was no significant correlation between head position and prognosis in the first 24 hours after stroke.