Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42911256›Full record

SynthesisEuropean journal of clinical pharmacology2026

Efficacy and Safety of Argatroban as an Adjunct to Antiplatelet Therapy in Ischemic Stroke: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Syeda Takreem Fatima, Ahmed Raza, Abdullah Javed, Shabnam Ijaz, Mishaal Noor, Syeda Duaa Uzair, Abdul Raheem Malik, Rana Ali Mustafa, Safi Ur Rehman Daim

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in European journal of clinical pharmacology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Syeda Takreem FatimaDepartment of Medicine, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
Ahmed RazaDepartment of Medicine, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
Abdullah JavedDepartment of Medicine, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan.
Shabnam IjazDepartment of Medicine, Foundation University Medical College, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Mishaal NoorDepartment of Medicine, Rashid Latif Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan.
Syeda Duaa UzairDepartment of Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
Abdul Raheem MalikDepartment of Medicine, Continental Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan.
Rana Ali MustafaDepartment of Medicine, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
Safi Ur Rehman DaimCarle Foundation Hospital, Illinois, USA. sdaim@illinois.edu.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAcute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a life-threatening condition. Argatroban can limit thrombus progression and improve AIS's functional outcomes. This study assessed the efficacy and safety of argatroban in combination with antiplatelet therapy compared to control.

methodsPubMed and Scopus were searched. Primary outcomes were Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0-2 and composite hemorrhage; secondary outcomes included mRS (0-1), early neurological deterioration (END), change in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, mortality, intracranial and organ hemorrhage. A random-effects model was used, with risk ratios (RRs) reported for binary outcomes, while mean differences (MDs) for continuous outcomes at 95% confidence intervals (CI) and a p-value of 0.05.

results17 studies were included with a total of 51,703 and 18,759 patients in the argatroban and control group, respectively. The primary outcomes, mRS (0-2), and composite hemorrhage showed no significant difference between argatroban and control (RR: 1.03, CI: 0.97-1.10, p = 0.26 and RR: 1.10, CI: 0.98-1.23, p = 0.11, respectively). However, argatroban significantly reduced END (RR: 0.48, CI: 0.30-0.75, p < 0.05) and favored mRS (0-1) with RR:1.22 (CI: 1.01-1.48, p = 0.03). The change in NIHSS score and incidence of mortality, stroke recurrence, intracranial and organ hemorrhage was comparable between the two groups. Subgroup analyses by antiplatelet drug in the intervention and comparison groups confirmed that argatroban showed the most pronounced results when combined with DAPT. While the overall pooled analysis did not demonstrate increased hemorrhagic risk, subgroup analysis restricted to randomized controlled trials revealed a significant increase in composite and intracranial hemorrhage with argatroban. GRADE assessment of RCT-derived evidence indicated very low to high certainty across all outcomes.

conclusionArgatroban as an adjunct to antiplatelet therapy did not significantly improve overall functional outcome (mRS 0-2) or reduce composite hemorrhage compared with antiplatelet therapy alone. However it appears safe and may reduce END significantly.

Indexed as

ArginineIschemic StrokePipecolic AcidsPlatelet Aggregation InhibitorsSulfonamidesDrug Therapy, CombinationHumansTreatment OutcomeargatrobanArgininePipecolic AcidsPlatelet Aggregation InhibitorsSulfonamidesAntiplatelet therapyArgatrobanEarly neurological deteriorationIschemic strokeThrombolysis

Identifiers

PMID42911256
PMCPMC13690853

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.