Sent 6/25/07 17. P Sandercock, G Gubitz, P Foley, C Counsell. Antiplatelet therapy for acute ischaemic stroke. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2003(Issue 2):Art. No.: CD000029. DOI: 000010.001002/14651858.CD14000029 (Stroke)

The Implications for research states, “…. There is also a case for further trials of low dose subcutaneous heparin (or low dose low molecular weight heparin) plus aspirin versus aspirin alone in the prevention of post-stroke deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and in reducing neurological disability from the original or recurrent strokes. Such trials would need to include several tens of thousands of patients.”

This review should be updated to reflect that, given the lack of efficacy of anticoagulants in multiple trials and high bleeding risk in stroke patients, further trials with low dose heparin or low dose low molecular weight heparin would be unethical.