Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States with a half million people suffering strokes each year, resulting in 150,000 deaths. Most strokes are the result of a blood clot formed in the brain or from the heart that blocks an artery to the brain. In the African-American population, the risk of having a stroke is twice as high as the risk in the general population. Also, African-Americans suffer more complications. Potential participants will undergo a screening examination and laboratory tests to determine their eligibility.
Study related medical care, medications and lab tests are free.
The multi-year study is designed to compare the effectiveness of two medications, aspirin and ticlopidine, in the prevention of recurrent stroke. These medications belong to a group of drugs that render platelets, a component of blood that is important for clotting, less sticky, decreasing their tendency to form clots within blood vessels. Once in the study, patients will be randomly assigned to one of the stroke prevention treatments of either aspirin or ticlopidine. We can be very assured that the data we are collecting is quite accurate. The study is sponsored by Hoffman-LaRoche Incorporated and the National Institutes of Health.