Aspirin after stroke can avert death and disability

Death and disability can be averted by quickly taking aspirin after a minor stroke, a study has found.

The blood-thinning drug is already given to people who have suffered a transient ischaemic attack (TIA), or “mini-stroke”, after they have been assessed in hospital. But more urgent treatment greatly reduces the risk of a subsequent fatal or disabling stroke, new research shows.

Taking aspirin as soon as possible after experiencing “warning symptoms” increased the level of risk reduction from 15% to 70%-80%.

Professor Peter Rothwell, from Oxford University, said: “Our findings confirm the effectiveness of urgent treatment after TIA and minor stroke and show that aspirin is the most important component.

“Immediate treatment with aspirin can substantially reduce the risk and severity of early recurrent stroke.

“This finding has implications for doctors, who should give aspirin immediately if a TIA or minor stroke is suspected, rather than waiting for specialist assessment and investigations.”

The researchers analysed data from a total of 15 aspirin trials involving some 56,000 stroke patients.

They found that almost all of the benefit from aspirin was experienced in the first few weeks after an initial minor stroke.

The research is published in The Lancet medical journal.