Antiplatelet therapies for secondary stroke prevention: an update on clinical and cost-effectiveness.

Stroke exacts a huge toll physically, mentally and economically. Antiplatelet therapy is the cornerstone of secondary stroke prevention, and proven drugs available to successfully realize this therapeutic strategy for the long term include aspirin, dipyridamole plus aspirin and clopidogrel. However, government agencies, corporations, health plans and patients desire more information about the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of these established therapies in real-world settings. This paper provides an update on evidence-based secondary stroke prevention with antiplatelet medications, discusses cost-related issues and offers perspective about the future.