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Acute stroke (the first hours after its onset) is accompanied in over 70% of cases by rapid and significant increases in blood pressure, above normal values. The acute or reactive hypertensive response occurs both in patients with a history of hypertension and in normotensive patients. The greatly increased BP values, not controlled therapeutically, can befollowed by the increase in the volume of the cerebral infarct and hemorrhagic transformation or thee xpansion of the hematoma and the increase in intracerebral pressure, respectively in ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. This paper especially refers to the therapeutic control of hypertension in various situations (conditions): 1. Laboratory emergencies; 2. Hospital treatment with out thrombolytics or thrombolysis; 3. Endovascular treatment in acute stroke; 4. BP control in hemorrhagic stroke; 5. Continuation or discontinuation of antihypertensive treatement. The updated recommendations for the treatment of HTN in acute stroke result from clinical studies and recommendations of the recent ESO and AHA/ASA Guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress has been involved in the pathogenesis of several neurological diseases including acute stroke. The paper describes the main features of the oxygen and nitrogen reactive species, their role in damage caused by stroke, and briefly indicates the effects of antioxidants given in acute brain lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]