ABSTRACT

There are some clinically useful subgroup observations in the pooled analyses of the endarterectomy trials, but the results of univariate subgroup analyses are often of only limited use in clinical practice. Individual patients frequently have several important risk factors, each of which interacts in a way that cannot be described using univariate subgroup analysis, and all of which should be taken into account in order to determine the likely balance of risk and benefit from surgery (18,29). For example, what would

Figure 5 Absolute reduction with surgery in the 5-year risk of ipsilateral carotid territory ischemic stroke and any stroke or death within 30 days after trial surgery in patients with 50-69% stenosis and 70% stenosis without near-occlusion stratified by the time from last symptomatic event to randomization. The numbers above the bars indicate the actual absolute risk reduction.