Aspirin Safer Than Warfarin for Treating Narrowing Arteries
Reported March 31, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire)
— A new study shows aspirin is safer than warfarin (Coumadin) in treating intracranial arterial stenosis — a narrowing of the arteries that can cause stroke.
Researchers randomly assigned 569 patients, who had a 50- to 99-percent narrowing of a major intracranial artery, to take either warfarin or aspirin. The researchers followed up on the patients for about two years.
According to the study, enrollment was stopped when patients on warfarin experienced significantly higher rates of adverse effects such as heart attack, major hemorrhage, and death.
Results show death rates were 9.7 percent in the warfarin group vs. 4.3 percent in the aspirin group. The warfarin group also had more than double the rate of heart attack and sudden death compared to the aspirin group (7.3 percent vs. 5.8 percent).
Authors conclude, “Warfarin was associated with significantly higher rates of adverse events and provided no benefit over aspirin in this trial. Aspirin should be used in preference to warfarin for patients with intracranial arterial stenosis.”
SOURCE: The New England Journal of Medicine, 2005;352:1305-1306
