Antiplatelet strategies
University of Rome Sapienza Rome, Italy
* Correspondence: Carlo Patrono, Seconda Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Ospedale Sant'Andrea, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Roma, Italy.
Abstract
Antiplatelet therapy has now been shown to reduce the risk of serious vascular events by about one-quarter, not just among patients with acute coronary syndromes, stroke or TIA, but also among other categories of patients with coronary or peripheral arterial disease or those at high risk of embolism. Antiplatelet strategies based on permanent modifications of a platelet protein by a short-lived active moiety (e.g., aspirin or clopidogrel) are ideally suited to this effect. The available evidence supports daily doses of aspirin in the range 75100 mg for the long-term prevention of serious vascular events in high-risk patients, as the best strategy to maximize both efficacy and safety. Other antiplatelet drugs can be substituted for or combined with aspirin in some conditions.
Key Words: Aspirin clopidogrel cyclooxygenase inhibitors GPIIb/11Ia blockers TP antagonists
Footnotes
Supported by a grant from the Italian Ministry of University and Research to the Center of Excellence on Aging of the University of Chietie G. D'Annunzio.