AICLA CONTROLLED TRIAL OF ASPIRIN AND DIPYRIDAMOLE IN THE SECONDARY PREVENTION OF ATHERO-THROMBOTIC CEREBRAL-ISCHEMIA .2. BASELINE STUDIES

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 138  (1) , 1-15
Abstract
Aspirin, aspirin + dipyridamole and placebo were compared in the secondary prevention of athero-thrombotic cerebral ischemic events. Patients [604] (men: 70%, mean age 63 yr) were entered. Risk factors were distributed as follows: arterial hypertension, 63%; diabetes, 24%; high blood lipids, 26%; high uric acid, 20%; hematocrit > 46%; 34%; cigarette smoking, 64%; angina pectoris and myocardial infarction, 15%; peripheral vascular disease, 7%; and stroke prior to entry, 37%. The ischemic event at entry occurred not > 1 yr prior to randomization and < 3 mo. in 77%. It was much often a completed stroke (84%) than a transient ischemic attack (16%) and was referrable either to the carotid (46%) or the vertebrobasilar circulation (50%). On the whole, patients are older and strokes more severe than in other similar studies. Randomization produced remarkably comparable treatment groups since almost no significant difference was observed between the 3 groups.