Antiplatelets

• People who have a heart disease, a previous heart attack, transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or stroke, may be advised to take a low-dose aspirin or other antiplatelet each day.
• Antiplatelets work by reducing the stickiness of small fragments in the blood (platelets) which help blood to clot. This helps to prevent the clots in the heart vessels and brain that cause heart attacks and strokes.
• Usually, aspirin is the recommended medicine. Sometimes, one of these other medicines is used if there is a problem with using aspirin.
• Sometimes, aspirin plus another antiplatelet medicine are taken together. This is usually recommended when there is a particularly high risk of developing a blood clot.

Find out more at: 

https://patient.info/health/aspirin-and-other-antiplatelet-medicines#nav-0

Research suggests:

In a group of 94 people aged between 68-94 people with previous stroke or TIA, antiplatelets will prevent one person from this group (on average) from having another stroke or heart attack in the course of a year. (Research at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC64503/ and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21576939)

In a group of 32 people with previous stroke or heart attack and at high risk of another, antiplatelets will prevent one person  from this group (on average) from having another stroke or heart attack in the course of a year. (Research at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC64503/)

In a group of 163 people, with heart disease or other conditions caused by build up of fatty deposits in their blood vessels, taking aspirin and dipyramidole together will prevent one person in this group (on average) from having a stroke or heart attack. (Research at  http://www.cochrane.org/CD001820/STROKE_dipyridamole-for-preventing-stroke-and-other-vascular-events-in-patients-with-vascular-disease)

It is not possible to tell what will happen to you as an individual.

Research suggests that:

In a group of 184  people with previous stroke or TIA, taking Clopidogrel rather than Aspirin will prevent one person more from having another stroke in the course of a year.  (Link to illustration – Cates plot).

In a group of 223 people with previous stroke or TIA, taking Clopidogrel rather than Aspirin will prevent one person morefrom having another stroke, heart attack, or death due to vascular disease, in the course of  a year.

Read about this research at https://www.cochrane.org/CD001246/STROKE_thienopyridine-derivatives-versus-aspirin-for-preventing-stroke-and-other-serious-vascular-events-in-high-vascular-risk-patients

You can discuss with your health professional  the possible side effects and other risks Aspirin might have.

Side-effects are unwanted affects that can happen to your body when taking a medicine. 

Not everyone will get side-effects. These usually improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following side-effects persist or worry you.

You can find out about side-effects of common Antiplatelets at the following links:

Aspirin: https://patient.info/heart-health/aspirin-and-other-antiplatelet-medicines#nav-0

Clopidogrel: https://patient.info/medicine/clopidogrel-to-prevent-blood-clots-plavix#nav-4

Dipyridamole: https://patient.info/medicine/dipyridamole-to-prevent-blood-clots#nav-4