Abstract
This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combining tirofiban with oral antiplatelet agents in treating patients with progressive ischemic stroke. The investigators searched several databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, WanFang Data and Sinomed. The search was restricted to literature published before May 5, 2025, without any language restrictions. Stata software 17.0 was used to analyze the results and assess risk of bias. A total of 19 studies comprising 3,667 patients were included in the analysis. Furthermore, statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were observed when comparing the tirofiban group and the control group regarding the incidence of achieving a 3-month modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 0-2, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, the mRS score, activities of daily living, the platelet aggregation rate, the platelet adhesion rate and the effective rate. However, no significant differences (P>0.05) were detected in the risks of intracranial hemorrhage, other systemic hemorrhage, mortality rate and serious adverse events between the two groups. The study was conducted according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines and registered with PROSPERO (no. CRD42025633357), and the findings suggested that tirofiban-augmented antiplatelet regimens safely improve clinical outcomes in progressive cerebral infarction, particularly when combined with dual oral antiplatelet agents.