title: Update on antiplatelet therapy for stroke prevention.
abstract: The high rates of mortality and long-term disability associated with ischemic stroke, coupled with its prevalence, necessitate good, long-term preventive strategies. Risk-factor management is effective for individuals with preclinical and clinical cerebrovascular disease. Patients suffering from a transient ischemic attack or stroke are particularly vulnerable to subsequent stroke. Most of these individuals are candidates for antiplatelet treatment to prevent a recurrence. Available antiplatelet therapies include aspirin, ticlopidine, and clopidogrel. The combination of low-dose aspirin plus extended-release dipyridamole has been shown to offer safe, effective antiplatelet therapy for appropriate patients. In the second European Stroke Prevention Study, the combination was found to be significantly more effective than either drug alone, at the cost of relatively few treatment-related adverse effects. This combination is currently recommended as one of the first-line treatments for stroke prevention after first transient ischemic attack or stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Public Health Epidemiology, Sergievsky Center, Neurological Institute, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York 10032, USA. rls1@columbia.edu
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Sacco
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Elkind
mesh_terms: D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004176:Dipyridamole / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000150:complications; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D004176:Dipyridamole; D001241:Aspirin