Aspirin for primary stroke prevention in elderly patients with vascular risk factors

Figure 1. (A) Cumulative rates of any stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in aspirin and no aspirin groups. There was no difference in the rates of stroke or TIA between the two groups. (B) Cumulative rate of any stroke in aspirin and no aspirin groups. There was no difference in the rate of stroke between the two groups. (C) Cumulative rate of ischemic stroke in aspirin and no aspirin groups. Ischemic stroke was nonsignificantly fewer in the aspirin group than in the no aspirin group. (D) Cumulative rate of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in aspirin and no aspirin groups. Rate of ICH was nonsignificantly higher in the aspirin than in the no aspirin group (Quoted from reference 8)

Figure 2. Cumulative rate of any stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in low‐ and high‐risk groups. Risk factors for cerebrovascular events were estimated by Cox regression analysis. Age over 70 years, smoking, and diabetes were significant risk factors for cerebrovascular events. According to these results, risk score was calculated by the sum of two for age over 70 years, one for smoking, and one for diabetes (quoted from reference 8)

Figure 3. Benefits and risks of low‐dose aspirin in primary prevention trials. The numbers of vascular events avoided and episodes of major bleeding caused by per 1000 patients treated with aspirin per year re plotted from the results of individual placebo‐controlled trials of aspirin in different patient populations characterized by various degrees of cardiovascular risk. WHS denotes Women's Health Study, PHS Physicians’ Health Study, PPP Primary Prevention Project, HOT Hypertension Optimal Treatment Study, BDT British Doctors Trial, TPT Thrombosis Prevention Trial, and SAPAT Swedish Angina Pectoris Aspirin Trial (quoted from reference 18)