“It was encouraging to find out that patients who are resistant to clopidogrel can take an equally effective therapy in order to prevent a second stroke.” - Dr. Dar DowlatshahiPeople recovering from a minor stroke or TIA are usually prescribed aspirin and clopidogrel as a “dual antiplatelet therapy” to prevent a second stroke, but for genetic reasons, some patients are resistant to clopidogrel. Now, a new network meta-analysis led by Dr. Dar Dowlatshahi and neurology resident Dr. Ronda Lun found that ticagrelor is just as good as clopidogrel when combined with aspirin as a dual antiplatelet therapy. 

This study published in JAMA Neurology looked all published evidence on these two regimens, including data from 5,517 patients who took clopidogrel and aspirin and 5,859 who took ticagrelor and aspirin. The findings suggest that aspirin and ticagrelor would be an equally effective alternative in cases where clopidogrel and aspirin doesn’t work.

“It was encouraging to find out that patients who are resistant to clopidogrel can take an equally effective therapy in order to prevent a second stroke.” - Dr. Dar Dowlatshahi, stroke neurologist and senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital, professor at the University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute.

Funding: This study received no dedicated funding, but all research at The Ottawa Hospital is enabled by generous donations to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.

Authors: Ronda Lun, Shan Dhaliwal, Gabriele Zitikyte, Danielle Carole Roy, Brian Hutton, Dar Dowlatshahi

Core Resources: Ottawa Methods Centre

The Ottawa Hospital is a leading academic health, research and learning hospital proudly affiliated with the University of Ottawa.  

Media Contact
Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca