In the present study, we addressed two questions: First, in a well established hypertensive animal model with cerebrovascular disease and a high incidence of stroke, the salt-fed stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR-SP), we asked whether a similar inhibition of the RAS as evidenced by equal blood pressure reductions by ACE-inhibition, AT1 receptor blockade, or their combination would engender comparable effects on stroke incidence and stroke-related morbidity and mortality (prevention study). This evidence concerns the gene ACE and Stroke.