Risk of secondary stroke subsequent to restarting aspirin in chronic stroke patients suffering from traumatic brain injury in Taiwan

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a silent epidemic that has been easily ignored. The safety and efficacy of restarting antiplatelet therapy after encountering traumatic brain injury (TBI) events remain a challenge. We explored the outcomes of restarting aspirin use on secondary stroke and mortality in patients with chronic stroke 4 weeks after suffering from a TBI episode in Taiwan. This study analyzed data from the National Health Insurance Research Database from January 2000 to December 2015. Overall, 136,211 individuals diagnosed with chronic stroke who suffered from acute TBI and received inpatient service were enrolled. The study outcomes were a competing risk of secondary stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic) hospitalization and all-cause mortality. We identified a case group of 15,035 patients with chronic stroke (mean [SD] age of 53.25 [19.74] years; 55.63% male) who restarted aspirin use 4 weeks after suffering from TBI and a control group of 60,140 patients with chronic stroke (mean [SD] age of 53.12 [19.22] years; 55.63% male) who discontinued aspirin use after suffering from TBI. The risk of hospitalization of secondary ischemic stroke [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.694; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.621–0.756; P < 0.001] and hemorrhagic stroke (aHR 0.642; 95% CI 0.549–0.723; P < 0.001) and all-cause mortality (aHR 0.840; 95% CI 0.720–0.946; P < 0.001) significantly decreased in patients with chronic stroke restarting aspirin use 1 month after suffering from TBI events (including intracranial hemorrhage) in comparison with the control subjects, regardless of those with or without diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, clopidogrel use, and dipyridamole use. Restarting aspirin use could lower the risks of secondary stroke (ischemic and hemorrhagic) hospitalization and all-cause mortality in patients with chronic stroke 1 month after suffering from TBI episodes.