Are urine phthalate concentrations higher in people with stroke : United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys ( NHANES ) , 2001-2004?
Urine phthalate concentrations are potentially associated with increased risk of stroke, although the causality cannot be established in the current cross-sectional study design. Future longitudinal cohort studies and/or clinical trials are warranted to understand the biological mechanism along the pathway before drawing a firm conclusion on the relationship between phthalates and risk of stroke in humans.
In this retrospective, single-institution study, the use of dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin plus clopidogrel) in patients intervened for asymptomatic carotid disease was related to increased all-cause mortality, whereas it did not significantly influence the outcome in patients with symptomatic carotid disease.