Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41347302›Full record

SynthesisStroke2026

Switching From Aspirin Monotherapy After Noncardioembolic Stroke: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Aaron Rothstein, Ossama Khazaal, Steven R Messe, Yulun Liu, Sean Hennessy, Yong Chen, Ale Algra, Shinichiro Uchiyama, Sven Poli, Tobias Geisler and 4 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Stroke, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Aaron RothsteinDepartment of Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (A.R., O.K., S.R.M., S.E.K.).ORCID 0000-0002-8480-8220
Ossama KhazaalDepartment of Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (A.R., O.K., S.R.M., S.E.K.).ORCID 0000-0002-8308-6596
Steven R MesseDepartment of Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (A.R., O.K., S.R.M., S.E.K.).ORCID 0000-0003-3108-5441
Yulun LiuSchool of Public Health, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX (Y.L.).ORCID 0000-0003-3541-1814
Sean HennessyDepartment of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (S.H., Y.C.).ORCID 0000-0003-4726-9413
Yong ChenDepartment of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia (S.H., Y.C.).ORCID 0000-0003-0835-0788
Ale AlgraJulius Center and Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands (A.A.).
Shinichiro UchiyamaDepartment of Neurology, International University of Health and Welfare, Tokyo, Japan (S.U.).ORCID 0000-0002-6280-8190
Sven PoliDepartment of Neurology and Stroke (S.P.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0286-8781
Tobias GeislerUniversity of Tübingen and Department of Cardiology, University Heart Center, Germany (T.G.).ORCID 0000-0002-8864-6038
Lina Maria Serna HiguitaDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Applied Biostatistics (L.M.S.H.), University Hospital Tübingen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-5182-8295
Kanjana S PereraDepartment of Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (A.R., O.K., S.R.M., S.E.K.).ORCID 0000-0002-7646-240X
Amanda TaylorPopulation Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada (K.S.P., A.T.).
Scott E KasnerDepartment of Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (A.R., O.K., S.R.M., S.E.K.).ORCID 0000-0003-0418-6917

Funding

Neurologic Clinical Epidemiology Training ProgramT32NS061779 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Andrea Lauren Christman Schneider, Allison Willis · 2008 to 2026
$4.6M
NINDS NIH HHS T32 NS061779
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients who experience an ischemic stroke while on aspirin therapy present a clinical dilemma about optimal long-term secondary prevention. While switching to an alternative antithrombotic agent is often considered, the effectiveness of switching remains uncertain.

methodsWe conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials reporting outcomes among patients with ischemic stroke while on aspirin who were either continued on aspirin or switched to an alternative antithrombotic therapy. Alternative antithrombotics included 2 trials of vitamin K antagonists (n=478), 3 trials of dual antiplatelet therapy (n=2229), 3 trials of direct oral anticoagulant (n=2660) monotherapy, and 1 trial of low-dose direct oral anticoagulant added onto aspirin (n=92). We excluded trials of patients with only short-term outcomes of 90 days or fewer, or those with cardioembolic sources of stroke requiring anticoagulation. Our primary outcome was recurrent ischemic stroke; the secondary outcome was a composite of ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular death (or all-cause mortality). Outcomes reflect recurrent events measured over a median of ≈19 months (range 11-42 months). In the network portion of this meta-analysis, surface under the cumulative ranking curve rankings and pairwise meta-analyses were used to evaluate and compare the relative efficacy of alternative antithrombotic medications.

resultsData were available from 9 studies (total N=5459 patients) for the outcome of recurrent ischemic stroke. Switching to another therapy was associated with a pooled relative risk of recurrent stroke of 0.88 (95% CI, 0.76-1.03) compared with continuing aspirin, with minimal heterogeneity (

conclusionsAmong patients experiencing ischemic stroke while taking aspirin, switching to an alternative antithrombotic therapy was not conclusively associated with a reduction in recurrent stroke and composite cardiovascular events. Trials are needed to determine whether specific antithrombotic strategies meaningfully improve outcomes in this high-risk population.

Indexed as

AspirinFibrinolytic AgentsIschemic StrokePlatelet Aggregation InhibitorsStrokeAnticoagulantsHumansNetwork Meta-Analysis as TopicRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSecondary PreventionAnticoagulantsAspirinFibrinolytic AgentsPlatelet Aggregation Inhibitorsanticoagulantsaspirinischemic strokesecondary preventionstroke

Identifiers

PMID41347302
PMCPMC12857259

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.