Antiplatelet drug
An antiplatelet drug is a member of a class of
pharmaceuticals that decreases
platelet aggregation and inhibits
thrombus formation. They are effective in the arterial
circulation, where anticoagulants have little effect.
They are widely used in primary and secondary prevention of thrombotic
cerebrovascular or cardiovascular disease.
Choice of antiplatelet drug
A recent review
[1] states: "....low-dose aspirin increases the risk of major bleeding
2-fold compared with placebo. However, the annual incidence of major
bleeding due to low-dose aspirin is modest�only 1.3 patients per thousand
higher than what is observed with placebo treatment. Treatment of
approximately 800 patients with low-dose aspirin annually for cardiovascular
prophylaxis will result in only 1 additional major bleeding episode."
Antiplatelet drugs
The most important antiplatelet drugs are:
-
Cyclooxygenase inhibitors
-
Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor inhibitors
-
Clopidogrel (Plavix)
-
Ticlopidine (Ticlid)
-
Phosphodiesterase inhibitors
-
Glycoprotein IIB/IIIA inhibitors (intravenous use only)
-
Abciximab (ReoPro)
-
Eptifibatide (Integrilin)
-
Tirofiban (Aggrastat)
- Defibrotide
-
Adenosine reuptake inhibitors
-
Dipyridamole (Persantine)
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