Comparative study of pentoxifylline vs antiaggregants in patients with transient ischaemic attacks

Abstract

Out of 235 patients with recent cerebral transient ischaemic attacks, 208 subjects were available for final evaluation after 6 months' randomised treatment with either pentoxifylline (PTX 1200 mg/day) or a combination (ASAD) of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, 1050 mg/day) and dipyridamole (D, 150 mg/day). Prevention of TIA, stroke or death attributable to previous events were endpoint criteria. The pentoxifylline group (n = 100) exhibited no recurrent episodes in 86 patients (86%). TIA occurred in 9 patients, stroke in 5 patients and there was 1 death. In the ASAD group (n = 108) no recurrence of ischaemic episodes was recorded in 82 cases (75.9%). TIA occurred in 20 patients, stroke in 6 patients and there were 3 deaths of vascular origin. Side effects were recorded in 4 ASAD and 1 PTX patients. The total rate of recurrence was 14% with PTX as compared to 24.1% with ASAD treatment.