title: European Stroke Prevention Study (ESPS): antithrombotic therapy is also effective in the elderly.
abstract: The ESPS was a multicenter study comparing the effect of the combination of dipyridamole 75 mg and acetylsalicylic acid 330 mg t.i.d. to placebo in 2500 patients (intention-to-treat analysis) and 1861 patients (explanatory analysis) in the secondary prevention of stroke or death after one or more attacks of TIA, RIND or stroke of atherothrombotic origin. End-point reduction was evaluated in two age groups, those not older than 65 years (1358 patients) and those who were older than 65 years (1142 patients). End-point reduction was significantly greater in patients with active therapy than in the placebo group in both age groups. Subgroup analyses with stroke as an end-point indicated that younger patients with TIA (< or = 65 years) had lower risk of stroke than those > 65 years or patients with stroke. The overall risk reduction was best in TIA patients > 65 years of age. The risk reduction with study medication was 40-50% in both sexes and in both age groups. Thus, age of the patient does not influence the efficacy of antithrombotic therapy. However, since these results are obtained from a secondary analysis of a subgroup of patients, the results may need confirmation by further studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sivenius
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Riekkinen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laakso
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smets
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lowenthal
mesh_terms: D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000368:Aged; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004176:Dipyridamole / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D004176:Dipyridamole; D001241:Aspirin