EUROPEAN STROKE PREVENTION STUDY-2 RESULTS - SERENDIPITOUS DEMONSTRATION OF NEUROPROTECTION INDUCED BY ENDOGENOUS ADENOSINE ACCUMULATION

In patients with prior stroke or transient ischaemic attack, anti-plat elet treatment with dipyridamole substantially reduced stroke recurren ce, with a beneficial effect comparable to and additive with that indu ced by aspirin (the European Stroke Prevention Study-2). Eugenio Pican o end Maria Abbracchio present here a platelet-independent hypothesis, according to which cardiovascular and neuroprotective actions achieve d by dipyridamole through chronic elevation of endogenous adenosine le vels may have contributed to the therapeutic success of this study.