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A pilot study of the ticagrelor role in ischemic stroke secondary prevention
Mohamed G Zeinhom1, Hany M Aref2, Hala El-Khawas2
1Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Kafr el-sheikh University, Kafr el-sheikh, Egypt.
Insights
Ticagrelor demonstrated comparable safety to aspirin for acute ischemic stroke patients. This antiplatelet drug also showed improved clinical outcomes, including better neurological function and reduced hospital stay.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Ticagrelor is a modern antiplatelet medication for ischemic heart disease.
- Its potential to match or surpass aspirin in treating acute ischemic stroke warrants investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the safety and efficacy of a 180 mg loading dose of ticagrelor.
- The study focused on patients receiving treatment within 9 hours of their first ischemic stroke.
Main Methods:
- An open-label, randomized controlled trial was conducted.
- 84 patients received aspirin, and 85 received ticagrelor, with treatment initiated within 9 hours of stroke onset.
Main Results:
- No significant safety differences (hemorrhagic or non-hemorrhagic complications) were observed between ticagrelor and aspirin groups.
- Ticagrelor showed superior efficacy, indicated by better NIHSS scores at 2 days and 1 week, and favorable mRS scores at various follow-up points.
Conclusions:
- Ticagrelor is non-inferior to aspirin in terms of safety for acute ischemic stroke.
- Ticagrelor offers improved clinical outcomes and shorter hospital stays compared to aspirin when administered within 9 hours of stroke onset.
Introduction:
Ticagrelor is one of the most recent antiplatelet drugs used to treat ischemic heart disease. Its efficacy may equal or exceed aspirin in improving clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke who are ineligible for rt-PA.
Aim Of The Work:
We aimed at evaluating the safety (as a primary endpoint) and efficacy (as a secondary endpoint) of a 180 mg loading dose of ticagrelor given within 9 h from the onset of first-ever ischemic stroke.
Methods:
We conducted an open-label, randomized prospective controlled clinical trial between May 2019 and September 2020 on patients who presented with their first-ever ischemic stroke and were recruited from the emergency department, of Kafr el-sheik University Hospitals, Egypt. Eligible patients randomly received aspirin or ticagrelor loading and maintenance doses. Treatment began within 9 h of stroke onset.
Results:
Aspirin was given to 84 patients; ticagrelor was given to 85. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups regarding the hemorrhagic and nonhemorrhagic complications. Patients who received ticagrelor had a better outcome regarding NIHSS improvement at 2 days and 1 week or discharge and a favorable mRS score after 1 week or discharge and at 90-day follow-up.
Conclusion:
Ticagrelor was noninferior to aspirin regarding safety profile. Compared with aspirin, ticagrelor had a better clinical outcome based on NIHSS and mRS in first-ever acute ischemic stroke patients who received it within 9 h from symptom onset, leading to a shorter hospital stay.
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