The European Stroke Prevention Study (ESPS). Principal end-points. The ESPS Group.

In a multicentre double-blind trial, 2500 patients with a clinical diagnosis of a recent cerebrovascular event of atherothrombotic origin (transient ischaemic attack, reversible ischaemic neurological deficit, or stroke) were randomised to receive either dipyridamole 75 mg plus acetylsalicylic acid 325 mg (DP-ASA, 1250 patients) or placebo (1250 patients) thrice daily. Follow-up was twenty-four months. On intention-to-treat analysis, 473 patients reached an end-point (stroke or death from any cause), 190 on DP-ASA and 283 on placebo. Survival curves for end-points showed 33% benefit in favour of the DP-ASA group (p less than 0.001). 108 patients died in the DP-ASA group and 156 in the placebo group (p less than 0.01). Results of an explanatory analysis were similar.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes