ESPRIT Study

Introduction

Study characteristics:

• 2700 patients, mean age 64 years
• TIA or minor stroke within past 6 months

Treatment groups:

• aspirin 30-325 mg daily
• aspirin 30-325 mg daily plus dipyridamole 200 mg BID

No placebo, distribution of aspirin similar in both groups

Follow-up: mean of 3.5 years

Primary outcome:

• vascular death, non fatal stroke, myocardial infarction, major bleed

Results:

• significantly fewer patients in combined aspirin plus dipyridamole reached endpoint 13% vs 16%
• 33% of combined aspirin plus dipyridamole discontinued dipyridamole, mostly because of headache 13% of aspirin group discontinued therapy

This is the 2nd of 6 studies that show a benefit of dipyridamole in combination with aspirin. 4 smaller studies did not.

More general terms

• clinical trial