Joon-Tae Kim1, Man-Seok Park1, Kang-Ho Choi1, Ki-Hyun Cho1, Beom Joon Kim1, Moon-Ku Han1, Tai Hwan Park1, Sang-Soon Park1, Kyung Bok Lee1, Byung-Chul Lee1, Kyung-Ho Yu1, Mi Sun Oh1, Jae Kwan Cha1, Dae-Hyun Kim1, Hyun-Wook Nah1, Jun Lee1, Soo Joo Lee1, Young-Chai Ko1, Jae Guk Kim1, Jong-Moo Park1, Kyusik Kang1, Yong-Jin Cho1, Keun-Sik Hong1, Jay Chol Choi1, Dong-Eog Kim1, Wi-Sun Ryu1, Dong-Ick Shin1, Min-Ju Yeo1, Wook-Joo Kim1, Juneyoung Lee1, Ji Sung Lee1, Jeffrey L Saver1, Hee-Joon Bae2. 1. From the Department of Neurology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea (J.-T.K., M.-S.P., K.-H. Choi, K.-H. Cho); Department of Neurology and Cerebrovascular Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea (B.J.K., M.-K.H., H.-J.B.); Department of Neurology, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea (T.H.P., S.-S.P.); Department of Neurology, Soonchunhyang University Hospital Seoul, Seoul, Republic of Korea (K.B.L.); Department of Neurology, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang-si, Republic of Korea (B.-C.L., K.-H.Y., M.S.O.); Department of Neurology, Dong-A University Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea (J.K.C., D.-H.K., H.-W.N.); Department of Neurology, Yeungnam University Medical Center, Daegu, Republic of Korea (J.L.); Department of Neurology, Eulji University Hospital, Daejeon, Republic of Korea (S.J.L., Y.-C.K., J.G.K.); Department of Neurology, Eulji General Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea (J.-M.P., K.K.); Department of Neurology, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea (Y.-J.C., K.-S.H.); Department of Neurology, Jeju National University Hospital, Jeju, Republic of Korea (J.C.C.); Department of Neurology, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea (D.-E.K., W.-S.R.); Department of Neurology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Republic of Korea (D.-I.S., M.-J.Y.); Department of Neurology, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Republic of Korea (W.-J.K.); Department of Biostatistics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea (J.L.); Clinical Trial Center, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea (J.S.L.); and Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (J.L.S.). 2. From the Department of Neurology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea (J.-T.K., M.-S.P., K.-H. Choi, K.-H. Cho); Department of Neurology and Cerebrovascular Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea (B.J.K., M.-K.H., H.-J.B.); Department of Neurology, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea (T.H.P., S.-S.P.); Department of Neurology, Soonchunhyang University Hospital Seoul, Seoul, Republic of Korea (K.B.L.); Department of Neurology, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang-si, Republic of Korea (B.-C.L., K.-H.Y., M.S.O.); Department of Neurology, Dong-A University Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea (J.K.C., D.-H.K., H.-W.N.); Department of Neurology, Yeungnam University Medical Center, Daegu, Republic of Korea (J.L.); Department of Neurology, Eulji University Hospital, Daejeon, Republic of Korea (S.J.L., Y.-C.K., J.G.K.); Department of Neurology, Eulji General Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea (J.-M.P., K.K.); Department of Neurology, Inje University Ilsan Paik Hospital, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea (Y.-J.C., K.-S.H.); Department of Neurology, Jeju National University Hospital, Jeju, Republic of Korea (J.C.C.); Department of Neurology, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea (D.-E.K., W.-S.R.); Department of Neurology, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Republic of Korea (D.-I.S., M.-J.Y.); Department of Neurology, Ulsan University Hospital, Ulsan, Republic of Korea (W.-J.K.); Department of Biostatistics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea (J.L.); Clinical Trial Center, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea (J.S.L.); and Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles (J.L.S.). braindoc@snu.ac.kr.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Selecting among different antiplatelet strategies when patients experience a new ischemic stroke while taking aspirin is a common clinical challenge, currently addressed by a paucity of data. METHODS: This study is an analysis of a prospective multicenter stroke registry database from 14 hospitals in South Korea. Patients with acute noncardioembolic stroke, who were taking aspirin for prevention of ischemic events at the time of onset of stroke, were enrolled. Study subjects were divided into 3 groups according to the subsequent antiplatelet therapy strategy pursued; maintaining aspirin monotherapy (MA group), switching aspirin to nonaspirin antiplatelet agents (SA group), and adding another antiplatelet agent to aspirin (AA group). The primary study end point was the composite of stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic), myocardial infarction, and vascular death up to 1 year after stroke onset. RESULTS: A total of 1172 patients were analyzed for this study. Antiplatelet strategies pursued in study patients were MA group in 212 (18.1%), SA group in 246 (21.0%), and AA group in 714 (60.9%). The Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that, compared with the MA group, there was a reduction in the composite vascular event primary end point in the SA group (hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% confidence interval, 0.27-0.92; P=0.03) and in the AA group (hazard ratio, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.66; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that, compared with maintaining aspirin, switching to or adding alternative antiplatelet agents may be better in preventing subsequent vascular events in patients who experienced a new ischemic stroke while taking aspirin.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Selecting among different antiplatelet strategies when patients experience a new ischemic stroke while taking aspirin is a common clinical challenge, currently addressed by a paucity of data. METHODS: This study is an analysis of a prospective multicenter stroke registry database from 14 hospitals in South Korea. Patients with acute noncardioembolic stroke, who were taking aspirin for prevention of ischemic events at the time of onset of stroke, were enrolled. Study subjects were divided into 3 groups according to the subsequent antiplatelet therapy strategy pursued; maintaining aspirin monotherapy (MA group), switching aspirin to nonaspirin antiplatelet agents (SA group), and adding another antiplatelet agent to aspirin (AA group). The primary study end point was the composite of stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic), myocardial infarction, and vascular death up to 1 year after stroke onset. RESULTS: A total of 1172 patients were analyzed for this study. Antiplatelet strategies pursued in study patients were MA group in 212 (18.1%), SA group in 246 (21.0%), and AA group in 714 (60.9%). The Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that, compared with the MA group, there was a reduction in the composite vascular event primary end point in the SA group (hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% confidence interval, 0.27-0.92; P=0.03) and in the AA group (hazard ratio, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.66; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that, compared with maintaining aspirin, switching to or adding alternative antiplatelet agents may be better in preventing subsequent vascular events in patients who experienced a new ischemic stroke while taking aspirin.