Abstract W P155: Antiplatelet Therapy Benefit in Secondary Stroke Prevention in Patients With Suboptimally Controlled Treatable Cerebrovascular Risk Factors

Objective: To assess the impact of antiplatelet therapy for secondary stroke prevention in patients with suboptimally controlled treatable cerebrovascular risk factors per guidelines. Results: Of the 1755 patients, 219 (12.47%) patients had a second stroke event between November 2006-December 2012. Mean age of this group of patients was 66.4 years old with male predominance (M:F=1.5:1). 192 (88%) patients were on antiplatelet therapy at the time of the second stroke. 27 (12 %) were not on antiplatelet therapy. Of the total cohort, treatable risk factors were poorly controlled in 130 (59%) patients: 121 (55%) hypertension; 78 (36%) hyperlipidemia, 44 (20%) diabetes. Antiplatelet agents included aspirin, clopidogrel alone or in combination with aspirin, and extended-release dipyridamole. The data showed no significant difference among antiplatelet agents for secondary stroke prevention (p<0.05). Stroke classification was as follows: 162 (74%) ischemic and 57 (26%) hemorrhagic. Categories of ischemic stroke were as follows: large-artery atherosclerosis 40 (18%), small vessel disease 45 (21%), cardioembolic 42 (19%), 35 (16%) cryptogenic / stroke of undetermined etiology. Of the 192 patients on antiplatelet therapy with stroke, 116 (60%) had poorly controlled risk factors. Conclusions: This study suggests that the use of antiplatelet therapy, regardless of which agent, for secondary stroke prevention may not be important or beneficial in the absence of optimal treatable cerebrovascular risk factor control. Further studies are needed to support this finding including further analysis of our data to assess risk factor control in those patients on antiplatelet therapy who did not suffer a second stroke during the period of surveillance