American journal of health-system pharmacy : AJHP : official journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
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Am J Health Syst Pharm · Oct 1998
ReviewClinical considerations in selecting antiplatelet therapy in cerebrovascular disease.
Effective antiplatelet drugs--aspirin, ticlopidine, dipyridamole, and clopidogrel--are reviewed. Aspirin has remained the pharmacologic foundation of stroke prevention, primarily because of its low cost. It has been shown to provide a 22% relative risk reduction of stroke in high-risk patients. ⋯ Clopidogrel has been associated with a small occurrence of rash and diarrhea, and gastrointestinal intolerance and hemorrhage were less frequent with clopidogrel than with aspirin. Both aspirin and clopidogrel are associated with a low occurrence of neutropenia. Aspirin, ticlopidine, dipyridamole, and clopidogrel have earned a role in stroke prevention; the different adverse-effect profiles of the drugs will influence the choice of agent.