Table 10 Characteristics of participants in included RCTs

Britton 1987 [58]

Sweden

ASA: 67%, placebo: 58%

Mean age 68 years, subgroup analysis age ≥ 68 years

ASA/placebo: hypertension 48%/45%, diabetes mellitus 15%/18%, smoking 48%/57%, hyperlipidaemia 2%/3%, angina 20%/15%, myocardial infarction 11%/9%, heart failure 15%/17%, atrial fibrillation 6%/8%, claudication 9%/8%, previous TIA 8%/8%, previous cerebral infarction 6%/6%, previous other strokes 5%/5%

Not reported

Capable of walking by themselves and without aphasia 61%, severely disabled 39%

Not reported

Diener 2004 [53]

28 countries

Placebo: 63%, intervention: 63%

Placebo + clopidogrel: mean age 66.1 years, 54% older than 65 years. ASA + clopidogrel: mean age 66.5 years, 56% older than 65 years, subgroup analysis age ≥ 65 years

Placebo + clopidogrel/ASA + clopidogrel: hypertension 78%/78%, diabetes mellitus 68%/68%, hypercholesterinaemia 57%/56%, smoking 47%/48%, previous ischaemic stroke 26%/27%, previous TIA 19%/19%, previous myocardial infarction 5%/5%, angina pectoris 12%/13%, symptomatic peripheral arterial disease 10%/10%

Not reported

Not reported

Not reported

EAFT 1993 [34]

Israel

OAC: 55%, ASA: 59%, placebo: 53%

OAC: mean age 71 years, 80% older than 65 years. ASA: mean age 73 years, 84% older than 65 years, placebo: mean age 73 years, 84% older than 65 years

Warfarin/ASA/placebo: Multiple strokes in the year prior to randomisation 19%/22%/24%, hypertension 43%/49%/47%, diabetes mellitus 12%/13%/13%, hypercholesterinaemia 12%/10%/7%, smoking 19%/20%/18%, angina pectoris 11%/11%/11%, myocardial infarction 7%/7%/9%, congestive heart failure 8%/11%/12%, minor stroke 8%/8%/6%

Not reported

Not reported

Not reported

Huynh 2001 [36]

Canada

ASA + placebo: 82.2%, warfarin + placebo: 86.4%, ASA + warfarin: 70.7%

ASA + placebo: mean age 68 years, 61% older than 65 years. Warfarin + placebo: mean age 67 years, 57% older than 65 years.

ASA + warfarin: mean age 66 years, 53% older than 65 years, subgroup analysis age ≥ 65 years

ASA + placebo/warfarin + placebo/warfarin + ASA: hypertension 34.8%/37.8%/38.6%, prior myocardial infarction 56.5%/62.2%/72.7%, current smoking 17.8%/31.1%/20.5%, hyperlipidaemia 43.5%/62.2%/68.2%, diabetes mellitus 17.4%/15.6%/25%

ASA + placebo/warfarin + placebo/warfarin + ASA: β-blockers 71.7%/57.8%/70.5%, calcium antagonists 52.2%/55.6%/54.5%, nitrates 63%/64.4%/75%, lipid-lowering agents 37%/42.2%/36.4%, ACE inhibitors 15.3%/35.6%/22.7%, antiarrhythmic agents 2.2%/6.8%/4.6%, diuretics 11%/26.7%/34.1%

Not reported

Not reported

Ikeda 2014 [35]

Japan

ASA 42.3%, control 42.4%

ASA: mean age 70.6 years, 82% older than 65 years. Control: mean age 70.5 years, 81% older than 65 years

ASA/control: BMI >25 36.6%/35.9%, hypertension 84.9%/84.8%, dyslipidaemia 72%/71.8%, diabetes mellitus 33.9%/33.9%, smoking 13.3%/12.9%

Not reported

Not reported

Not reported

Kjeldsen 2000 (HOT) [31]

26 countries

53%

Men: mean age 60.8 years, 28% older than 65 years. Women: mean age 62.3 years, 36% older than 65 years, subgroup analysis age ≥ 65 years

Men/women: smoking 21.2%/10%, diabetes mellitus 7.8%/8.2%, previous cardiovascular disease 9.8%/7.4%

Men/women: calcium antagonists 45.2%/37.9%, β-blockers 28.3%/28.2%, ACE-inhibitors 39.3%/37.2%, diuretics 29.8%/36.4%

Not reported

Not reported

Liu 2014 [47]

China

Warfarin: 60.8%, ASA: 60.0%

Warfarin: mean age 84.8 years. ASA: mean age 84.4 years, 100% older than 65 years

Warfarin/ASA: hypertension 39.2%/38%, diabetes mellitus 21.6%/22%, smoking 25.5%/24%, previous myocardial infarction 15.7%/14%, angina pectoris 84.3%/86%

Warfarin/ASA: β-blockers 7.8%/6%, statins 11.2%/16%, ACE-inhibitors or ARB 9.8%/12%

Not reported

Not reported

Ogawa 2008 [33]

Japan

ASA: 56%, non-ASA: 53%

ASA: mean age 65 years, 50% older than 65 years. NonASA group: mean age 64 years, 46% older than 65 years, subgroup analysis age ≥ 65 years

ASA/non-ASA: smoking 23%/19%, hypertension 59%/57%, dyslipidaemia 54%/52%, diabetes mellitus 100%/100%

ASA/non-ASA: sulfonylureas 58%/56%, α-glukosidase-inhibitors 33%/32%, biguanides 13%/15%, insulin 13%/13%, thiazolidines 5%/5%, calcium antagonists 35%/34%, angiotensin-II antagonists 21%/21%, ACE-inhibitors 14%/15%, β-blockers 6%/7%, α-blockers 4%/3%, statins 26%/26%

Not reported

Not reported

Silagy 1993 [32]

Australia, Germany, USA

ASA: 48.6%, placebo: 49.6%

Mean age 73 years, 100% older than 65 years

ASA/placebo: smoking 4.5%/7.1%

Not reported

Not reported

Not reported

Uchiyama 2016 [50]

Japan

ASA: 42.3% no ASA: 42.4%

ASA: mean age 70.6 years, 82% older than 65 years. No ASA: 70.5 years, 81% older than 65 years

ASA/no ASA: hypertension 84.9%/84.8%, dyslipidaemia 72%/71.8%, diabetes mellitus 33.9%/33.9%, BMI >25 36.6%/35.9%, smoking 13.3%/12.9%

Not reported

Not reported

Not reported

Wiviott 2007 [51]

30 countries

Prasugrel: 75%, clopidogrel 73%

Mean age 61 years, 13% older than 75 years, subgroup analysis age ≥ 65 years

Prasugrel/clopidogrel: hypertension 64%/64%, hypercholesterolemia 56%/56%, diabetes mellitus 23%/23%, smoking 38%/38%, previous myocardial infarction 18%/18%, previous CABG 8%/7%

Prasugrel/clopidogrel: heparin 66%/65%, LMWH 9%/8%, bivalirudin 3%/3%, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa–receptor antagonist 54%/55%, ACE inhibitors 76%/75%, β-blockers 88%/88%, statin 92%/92%, calcium antagonists 18%/17%, ASA 99%/99%

Not reported

Not reported