Dr John Eikelboom on the Surprising Results of the COMPASS Trial

John Eikelboom, MD, of McMaster University discusses the 3 outcomes of the COMPASS trial that address the main concerns of patients.

Transcript (slightly modified)

What specific data set from the COMPASS trial were you most surprised with?

The COMPASS trial results are, of course, exciting, but also some outstanding results, some results that really heighten the imagination. What are the 3 outcomes that my patient says “I just absolutely do not want these outcomes”? Well the first that comes to mind is stroke—42% risk reduction in stroke. Unexpected and I think real, although, there is a play of chance and maybe it was a little bit bigger of a treatment effect than we’d anticipated, but who could imagine that we would reduce the risk of ischemic stroke by almost 50%.

The second outcome that my patients fear is an amputation. I don’t think there’s anybody in the world who does not fear the prospect of amputation. In the COMPASS trial, we saw a reduction by half, by more than half, in the need for amputation.

The third outcome I think my patients don’t want is, by and large, they don’t want to die. It’s very hard to show mortality benefit in any antithrombotic population during long term treatment, but plucking these people of the street with chronic, stable cardiovascular disease and mortality reduction, I would say they are my 3 highlights.