Oxidative Stress and Oxysterols Profiling in Patients With Carotid Revascularization
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2014-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The combination of aspirin and dipyridamole, two antiplatelet drugs, is approved in Italy for
the secondary prevention of cerebral embolism in patients with carotid atherosclerosis.
Besides antiplatelet activity, Dipyridamole has additional pharmacological action, including
vasodilation and antioxidant properties.
A role for oxidative stress has been suggested in acute cerebrovascular disease. In this
study the investigators want to test the in vivo antioxidant activity of dipyridamole in
patients who are candidate to take the drug under approved conditions of the Italian Drug
Regulation Agency, i.e. secondary prevention of TIA/Stroke in patinets with carotid stenosis
(>= 70%).
To test the hypothesis that dipyridamole acts as antioxidant in vivo, oxysterols (products of
cholesterol autoxidation) and vitamin E are measured in plasma before and after 6 months
therapy after carotid endoarterectomy. Since dipyridamole is approved as combination
preparation with aspirin, a control group of patients taking aspirin alone is enrolled.
Outcome measures: plasma biomarkers (oxysterols and vitamin E) change at two time points:
baseline and 6-months therapy.