Antiplatelet therapy: new insights on the secondary prevention of stroke

Antiplatelet agents represent an important part of the therapeutic armamentarium in the prevention of stroke. Among them, aspirin is the gold standard but its chronic use has been associated with gastric intolerance, gastrointestinal and systemic hemorrhages and drug-resistance. Triflusal is a new antiplatelet agent from the family of salicylates but is not derived from aspirin and has a more selective mechanism of action : inhibition of thromboxane A2 in the platelet  with no effect on prostacyclin biosynthesis in the endothelium.  In the quest for the search of new antiplatelet agents, triflusal has shown a similar relative risk reduction than aspirin for the prevention of  stroke but with reduced severe hemorrhagic side effects. The efficacy and better safety profile of triflusal vs aspirin in the secondary prevention of stroke has been demonstrated in major,  randomized and double blind clinical trials and confirmed after a long term study with a mean follow up of 17 years, as well as in  a Cochrane meta-analysis. Aspirin, but not triflusal, increased antihypertensive therapy requirements during long term treatment  in the secondary prevention of stroke. In patients with atrial fibrillation, the combination of oral anticoagulants with triflusal has shown increased efficacy  versus the standard oral single anticoagulation treatment with no increase of haemorrhagic risk.  Studies have shown that the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding associated with the use of triflusal was negligible whereas the hemorrhagic risk associated  with the use of aspirin, including low doses aspirin, was evident. Triflusal was well tolerated in asthmatic patients with aspirin-exacerbated –respiratory-diseases. The efficacy of triflusal in secondary prevention of stroke and its better safety profile when compared to aspirin has been recognized in important International Guidelines including the European Stroke Organization Guidelines.