Antiplatelet Agents in Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases

Abstract

Aspirin has become a widely accepted platelet function inhibitor and is used to prevent arterial occlusions in coronary cerebral and peripheral vascular disease. The results of clinical studies with aspirin in the area of peripheral arterial occlusive disease are critically reviewed. Two thienopyridine compounds, ticlopidine and clopidogrel, have been effectively used in the prevention of myocardial infarction and stroke in several clinical trials, especially in the recently published CAPRIE-trial. Potent new platelet function inhibitors recently were developed. Intravenous treatment with abciximab, a new platelet membrane glycoprotein IIb/IIIa-inhibitor, effectively prevented coronary reocclusions in patients with high-risk coronary events. A series of promising new oral IIb/IIIa- inhibitors have been developed and may become effective drugs in the prevention of reocclusions in patients with periph eral vascular disease and in coronary or cerebral vascular dis ease. Key Words: Antiplatelet agents—Aspirin—Peripheral arterial disease—Ticlopidine—Clopidogrel—GPIIb/IIIa inhibitor.