Drug resistance and secondary treatment of ischaemic stroke: The genetic component of the response to acetylsalicylic acid and clopidogrel.

INTRODUCTION Cerebrovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death and disability in developed countries. Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and clopidogrel are the most widely-used antiplatelet drugs for secondary prevention of recurrent thromboembolic events. However, there have been cases in which antiplatelet drugs did not inhibit platelet activity; this phenomenon is called resistance, and it may be modulated at the genetic level. DEVELOPMENT Following a literature search, we reviewed the current state of antiplatelet therapy and covered the different types of resistance to antiplatelet therapy, how it is measured, current problems and limitations, and any genetic factors that have been associated with resistance. We mainly used the Genome Wide Association Studies in the field of ASA and clopidogrel resistance. CONCLUSIONS We observed an association between different genetic factors and antiplatelet drug resistance as measured by platelet activity. However, there is no evident association between these genetic factors and risk of new thromboembolic events.