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Dual antiplatelet therapy in recurrent stroke prevention: do the benefits outweigh the risks?
This study assessed seven randomised controlled trials, comprising 39 574 patients and comparing dual versus single antiplatelet therapies. Medications used included aspirin (50–325 mg daily), clopidogrel (75 mg daily), aspirin plus dipyridamole (50/400 mg daily) and ticlopidine (100 mg daily). Patients had a history of ischaemic stroke (three trials) or TIA (four...
Source: Evidence-Based Medicine - July 18, 2014 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Farooq, M. U., Gorelick, P. B. Tags: Clinical trials (epidemiology), Stroke Therapeutics Source Type: research

Meta-analysis finds benefit for dual antiplatelet therapy but limitations preclude changing standard mono antiplatelet therapy approach for acute non-cardioembolic ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack
Commentary on: Wong KSL, Wang Y, Leng X, et al.. Early dual versus mono antiplatelet therapy for acute non-cardioembolic ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. An updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Circulation 2013;128:1656–66. Context Current guidelines recommend aspirin, aspirin plus clopidogrel or aspirin plus extended-release dipyridamole for treatment of acute ischaemic stroke (IS) or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) to prevent recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death.1 The Clopidogrel in High-risk patients with Acute Non-disabling Cerebrovascular Events (CHANCE) trial ra...
Source: Evidence-Based Medicine - May 19, 2014 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Aronow, W. S. Tags: Clinical trials (epidemiology), Epidemiologic studies, Drugs: cardiovascular system, Stroke, Ischaemic heart disease Therapeutics Source Type: research

Aspirin plus clopidogrel in acute minor ischaemic stroke or transient ischaemic attack is superior to aspirin alone for stroke risk reduction: CHANCE trial
Commentary on: Wang Y, Wang Y, Zhao X, et al.. Clopidogrel with aspirin in acute minor stroke or transient ischemic attack. N Engl J Med 2013;369:11–19. Context Combination therapy with aspirin added to clopidogrel has had a disappointing record in the prevention of recurrent stroke. The management of atherothrombosis with clopidogrel in high-risk patients (MATCH)1 and the secondary prevention of small subcortical strokes (SPS3)2 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) showed that combination therapy was not more effective than clopidogrel or aspirin alone, but was associated with two to three times the risk of major or ...
Source: Evidence-Based Medicine - March 19, 2014 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Gorelick, P. B., Farooq, M. U. Tags: Smoking and tobacco, Clinical trials (epidemiology), Genetics, Stroke, Hypertension, Diabetes, Health education, Smoking Therapeutics Source Type: research

Lack of association between proton pump inhibitors and adverse events in patients taking clopidogrel and aspirin
Commentary on Douglas IJ, Evans SJ, Hingorani AD, et al.. Clopidogrel and interaction with proton pump inhibitors: comparison between cohort and within person study designs. BMJ 2012;345:e4388 Context Clopidogrel inhibits the P2Y12 platelet receptor and is used in patients with acute coronary syndromes or ischaemic stroke to prevent recurrent vascular events. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), however, have been shown to reduce the pharmacodynamic effect of clopidogrel upon platelet inhibition, and have been linked in retrospective studies to a higher rate of ischaemic outcomes in patients taking clopidogrel. Methods A total o...
Source: Evidence-Based Medicine - May 15, 2013 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Waksman, R., Gaglia, M. A. Tags: Smoking and tobacco, Epidemiologic studies, Drugs: cardiovascular system, Stroke, Ischaemic heart disease, Health education, Smoking Aetiology Source Type: research

Thromboprophylaxis in heart failure patients with sinus rhythm: aspirin and warfarin lead to similar cardiovascular outcomes
Commentary on: Homma S, Thompson JL, Pullicino PM, et al.. WARCEF Investigators. Warfarin and aspirin in patients with heart failure and sinus rhythm. N Engl J Med 2012;366:1859–69. Context Chronic heart failure (CHF) is common, affecting 1–2% of the population and 10% of people >70 years. Patients with CHF have an increased risk of thromboembolism. Those with atrial fibrillation (AF) should receive warfarin but whether CHF patients with sinus rhythm (SR), whose risk is 1.5–3.5%,1 should receive thromboprophylaxis is unclear. Previous studies, Warfarin/Aspirin Study in Heart failure (warfarin, asp...
Source: Evidence-Based Medicine - March 19, 2013 Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Witte, K. K. A., Jamil, H. A. Tags: Epidemiologic studies, Drugs: cardiovascular system, Stroke, Ischaemic heart disease, Diabetes, Arrhythmias Therapeutics Source Type: research