title: Clopidogrel plus aspirin prevents early neurologic deterioration and improves 6-month outcome in patients with acute large artery atherosclerosis stroke.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of treatments with clopidogrel plus aspirin (dual therapy) on early neurological deterioration (END) and outcomes at 6 months in patients with acute large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 574 patients with LAA stroke were randomly assigned to receive either dual therapy or aspirin alone (monotherapy). The primary outcome was END. Secondary outcomes included recurrent ischemic stroke (RIS) and outcomes at 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of END and RIS was lower in patients on dual therapy than in those on monotherapy during the 30 days. At 6 months, dual therapy improved outcomes among older patients and those with symptomatic stenosis in the posterior circulation and basilar artery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clopidogrel plus aspirin is superior to aspirin alone for reducing END and RIS within 30 days and improves outcomes in certain subgroups at 6 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, People's Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, China.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, People's Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, China yixingyang64@126.com.
authors.forename: Xingyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, People's Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, China.
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, People's Hospital of Deyang City, Deyang, China.
authors.forename: Duanxiu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lifen
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D013988:Ticlopidine; D001241:Aspirin
keywords: acute ischemic stroke; dual antiplatelet therapy; early neurological deterioration; monoantiplatelet therapy