November 24, 2005Stroke
Antiplatelet Drugs In the Secondary Prevention After Stroke
Why the study?
Do antiplatelet drugs (aspirin, dipyridamole, or combination) reduce vascular events differently in patients with large vessel versus small vessel cerebrovascular disease?
Population
6,602 patients with a previous transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke
Comparison
Aspirin, dipyridamole, or their combination vs Placebo
Design
Cohort, randomized (in original trial)
Follow-up
mean 1.7 years
Authors
Discussion
Loading...
Member takes
Implication
Supports similar antiplatelet efficacy across vessel subtypes; hypothesis-generating and requires randomized confirmation.
Structured PICO
Do antiplatelet drugs (aspirin, dipyridamole, or combination) reduce vascular events differently in patients with large vessel versus small vessel cerebrovascular disease?
P
Population
6,602 patients with a previous transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke (2,600 with small vessel disease, 1,816 with large vessel disease)
I
Intervention
Aspirin, dipyridamole, or their combination
C
Comparator
Placebo
O
Outcome
Composite of nonfatal stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal other vascular event, or vascular deathcomposite
Antiplatelet therapy is similarly effective for secondary prevention of vascular events regardless of whether the initial cerebral ischemia was caused by large or small vessel disease.
Cite This Study
Ariesen et al. (2005) studied this question.