Warfarin versus aspirin for stroke prevention (BAFTA)

摘要

Jonathan Mant and colleagues (Aug 11, p 493) should be commended on their study focusing on warfarin versus aspirin therapy in people older than 75 years. Although the study showed that those prescribed warfarin had fewer episodes of major bleeds than those taking aspirin, participant selection potentially affected the study outcome and generalisability of the findings. In addition to excluding patients on the basis of risk factors outlined in the study protocol, primary-care physicians excluded patients if, on their own clinical judgment, patients were deemed at risk of stroke and haemorrhage. This criterion is not clearly defined or attributed to any specific set of guidelines