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Stroke results in substantial morbidity and mortality globally. Asia-Pacific countries bear a disproportionate share of the burden of stroke, a burden that will grow as their populations' life expectancies rise. Hypertension is the single most important reversible risk factor for stroke, and effective measures to reduce blood pressure contribute significantly to reducing the incidence of stroke. The Asia-Pacific Consensus Conference on Stroke Prevention in Hypertensive Patients assembled leading experts from the region to reach an actionable consensus aimed at reducing stroke-induced morbidity and mortality in Asia through the evidence-based treatment of hypertension. The discussions of the group focused on how best to improve blood pressure control, how to promote lifestyle changes at the population level, and how to reduce the clinical and health system barriers and other challenges facing developing and low-income countries. The experts concluded that physicians must place an increased priority on reducing their patients' risk of stroke and recognise that all hypertensive patients are at greater risk of having a stroke compared with nonhypertensive individuals. They advocated that physicians must educate hypertensive patients about the risk of stroke, promote lifestyle modification to all patients diagnosed with hypertension, and prescribe rigorous antihypertensive treatment to get patients to recommended blood pressure goals.

Ofloxacin, a new quinolone antibacterial agent, is active in vitro against gonococcal and nongonococcal urogenital pathogens. Chlamydia trachomatis infection is the most common cause of nongonococcal urethritis. In a multicenter study in seven Asian countries, 105 mal patients with chlamydial urethritis and 46 male patients with nongonococcal and nonchlamydial urethritis were treated with oral ofloxacin at a dosage of 200 mg twice daily for 5 to 10 days. The evaluation performed at day 5 and/or day 10 after treatment revealed good results in 58.2% and 96.8% of the chlamydial urethritis group, and 73.1% and 79.4% of the nongonococcal, nonchlamydial urethritis group, respectively. No severe side effects were observed. Ten-day treatment with ofloxacin showed good clinical efficacy on nongonococcal urethritis.