A new study led by the University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus and the Medical Faculty of the Technical University of Dresden investigates a strategy for the prevention of repeated strokes by intensifying the inhibition of blood clotting in the first weeks after acute treatment.

An ischemic stroke is caused by the occlusion of a cerebral vessel with a blood clot. Acute therapy aims to reopen quickly, either with medication by dissolving the clot or mechanically by catheter. Those affected are then given medication to prevent platelets from clumping. The combination of two such active ingredients is already successfully used in mild strokes without acute treatment. Whether this dual therapy is safe and effective even after successful vascular opening was unclear until now.

The POTENTIAL study therefore examines whether patients with mild stroke after acute treatment benefit from 21 days of intensified therapy with acetylsalicylic acid and clopidogrel. The treatment group receives this combination, the control group only acetylsalicylic acid. The aim is to clarify whether the risk of recurrence decreases significantly without disproportionately increasing the risk of bleeding. Around 2100 patients are taking part in the nationwide randomized study. After ruling out a cerebral haemorrhage, the group is assigned. Measures of success are magnetic resonance imaging and clinical evaluation. The project is scheduled to start in February 2026.

The coordination underlines the role of Dresden University Medicine in stroke research. The results could influence guidelines nationally and internationally and improve patient care. Ischemic strokes account for the majority of cases and are often associated with a high risk of recurrence. Intensified therapy could provide protection in the vulnerable phase after acute treatment, where the risk is highest.

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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