Résumé : The ESPS was a multicenter study comparing the effect of the combination of dipyridamole 75 mg and acetylsalicylic acid 330 mg t.i.d. to placebo in 2500 patients (intention‐to‐treat analysis) and 1861 patients (explanatory analysis) in the secondary prevention of stroke or death after one or more attacks of TIA, RIND or stroke of atherothrombotic origin. End‐point reduction was evaluated in two age groups, those not older than 65 years (1358 patients) and those who were older than 65 years (1142 patients). End‐point reduction was significantly greater in patients with active therapy than in the placebo group in both age groups. Subgroup analyses with stroke as an end‐point indicated that younger patients with TIA (≪ 65 years) had lower risk of stroke than those >65 years or patients with stroke. The overall risk reduction was best in TIA patients >65 years of age. The risk reduction with study medication was 40–50% in both sexes and in both age groups. Thus, age of the patient does not influence the efficacy of antithrombotic therapy. However, since these results are obtained from a secondary analysis of a subgroup of patients, the results may need confirmation by further studies. Copyright © 1993, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved