Optical platelet aggregometry does not appear useful as a means of assessing the risk of recurrent vascular events in aspirin-treated patients

• Published in: Acta neurologica Scandinavica Vol. 117; no. 4; pp. 250 - 254
• Main Authors: Sztriha, L. K., Sas, K., Seres, E., Boda, K., Lenti, L., Csifcsak, G., Kovacs, N., Vecsei, L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2008; Blackwell
• Subjects: Aged; Antineoplastic agents; Aspirin - pharmacology; Aspirin - therapeutic use; aspirin resistance; Automatic Data Processing - methods; Automatic Data Processing - statistics & numerical data; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Ischemia - diagnosis; Brain Ischemia - drug therapy; Brain Ischemia - physiopathology; cerebrovascular diseases; Chemotherapy; Drug Resistance - drug effects; Drug Resistance - physiology; Female; Humans; Ischemic Attack, Transient - diagnosis; Ischemic Attack, Transient - drug therapy; Ischemic Attack, Transient - physiopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction - diagnosis; Myocardial Infarction - drug therapy; Myocardial Infarction - physiopathology; Neurology; neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Platelet Aggregation - drug effects; Platelet Aggregation - physiology; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - pharmacology; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Predictive Value of Tests; Recurrence; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Stroke - diagnosis; Stroke - drug therapy; Stroke - physiopathology; strokes; transient ischemic attack; treatment; vascular risk factors; Human; Stroke; Nervous system diseases; aspirin resistance; Cardiovascular disease; Cerebral disorder; Vascular disease; Resistance; Platelet; Treatment; Central nervous system disease; Risk factor; Cerebrovascular disease; cerebrovascular diseases; neuropharmacology; strokes; transient ischemic attack; treatment; vascular risk factors
• ISSN: 0001-6314; 1600-0404
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2007.00937.x

Objectives –  To investigate whether the results of optical platelet aggregometry indicate the risk of recurrent ischemic events. Materials and methods –  Cerebro‐ and cardiovascular patients taking aspirin for at least 30 days were studied retrospectively. Ischemic vascular events occurring prior to testing and the presence of vascular risk factors were recorded. Results –  241 subjects were included. Among the 78 patients (32.4%) who displayed recurrent vascular episodes, the age (62.5 ± 10.6 vs. 58.4 ± 11.6, P = 0.009) and the proportion of hypertensives (80.8% vs. 68.1%, P = 0.040) were significantly higher when compared with the participants who exhibited single events. The degree of platelet aggregation did not differ significantly between the patients with and those without recurrent episodes. Logistic regression analysis identified only age (OR 1.033, 95% CI 1.008–1.058, P = 0.010), and not aggregation values, as a risk condition for recurrent vascular episodes. Conclusions –  Results of optical platelet aggregometry were not indicative of the risk of recurrent vascular events. The role of conventional risk factors appeared to be more important.