TIAs are strong predictors of future strokes. An individual who has experienced a TIA is about 10 times more likely to suffer a major stroke than someone who has not. The new antiplatelet drugs are clopidogrel, which can be used alone, and dipyridamole, which is most effective when used in combination with aspirin. Calif. The updated TIA guidelines discuss each of the four antiplatelet agents now available to physicians, their potential side effects, and which patients are appropriate candidates for each of the blood-thinning medications. Albers says another significant change in the updated guidelines is the lowering of the recommended dosages of aspirin to prevent stroke.
Some experts recommend much higher doses of aspirin therapy to prevent stroke in high-risk patients.
Recent studies indicate that aspirin can be just as effective for stroke prevention at lower doses ranging from 50 to 325 milligrams. Carotid artery surgery . Many strokes are caused by a blockage in the carotid artery in the neck, which supplies blood to the brain. A procedure called carotid endarterectomy involves the surgical removal of the blockage from the artery. The previous guidelines recommended carotid endarterectomy for patients with a 70 percent or greater blockage in the carotid artery.