Study designs of evaluations included in the review
Prospective randomised controlled trials comparing the prevalence of thromboembolic events and deaths in groups treated with warfarin (or similar compound) plus dipyridamole, with control groups receiving the same anticoagulant therapy without dipyridamole.
Specific interventions included in the review
Dipyridamole (225 to 400 mg daily), with warfarin or similar anticoagulant drug; anticoagulants alone.
Participants included in the review
Patients with prosthetic heart valves were included.
Outcomes assessed in the review
All thromboembolic events, both fatal and non-fatal, including cerebral and other arterial emboli, myocardial infarction and strokes; haemorrhagic events, fatal and non-fatal; overall mortality.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
The authors do not state how the papers were selected for the review, or how many of the authors performed the selection.