Stroke risk rises if aspirin is stopped

The risk of having another stroke is tripled within one month if aspirin therapy is discontinued in stroke survivors. Researchers from the Lausanne University, Switzerland, collected data on all patients who had been admitted to their institution with either transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or stroke. They selected 309 new stroke patients who had already been prescribed long-term aspirin for secondary prevention of heart attack and stroke prior to the defining stroke event. As a comparison, they chose another 309 patients with a six-month or longer history of stroke who were on long-term aspirin therapy. It was found that 13 patients in the study group stopped taking aspirin in the month before their new stroke, and 4 patients in the control group had a recurrent stroke. Therefore, risk of stroke was found to be three times higher if aspirin is stopped compared with patients with similar risk factors but who continue aspirin therapy. Although the numbers are small, they are significant on a statistical level. The absolute risk of having a stroke with aspirin discontinuation is low, but there is still an increased risk. The risk of stroke was highest in the 8 to 10 days following discontinuation of therapy from a rebound effect. The researchers pointed out that patients undergoing surgery are instructed to discontinue aspirin one week prior to the procedure. It is important to educate patients about the importance of continuing long-term aspirin therapy and the risks of discontinuation.

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