Dual antiplatelet therapy is currently recommended for all patients with acute coronary syndromes, independent of whether they receive pharmacological treatment or undergo percutaneous coronary intervention. Antiplatelet agents are the cornerstone of pharmacological treatment in interventional cardiology. However, there is a clear need for randomized trials to assess the treatment strategy of d...

Hyporesponsiveness, or resistance, to antiplatelet therapy may be a major contributor to poorer outcomes among cardiac patients and may be attributed to an array of mechanisms--both modifiable and unmodifiable. Recent evidence has uncovered clinical, cellular, and genetic factors associated with hyporesponsiveness. Patients with severe acute coronary syndromes (ACS), type 2 diabetes, and increa...

BACKGROUND Improved recognition of stroke signs and symptoms has paralleled the development of pharmacological strategies that may be examined to reduce stroke mortality and morbidity. Presently, tissue plasminogen activator is the only therapy that significantly improves outcome in acute stroke, with no agent demonstrating a significant reduction in mortality. SUMMARY OF REVIEW Antiplatelet ...

BACKGROUND Dual therapy with ticlopidine and aspirin has been shown to be as effective as or more effective than conventional anticoagulation in patients with an optimal result after implantation of intracoronary metallic stents. However, the safety and efficacy of antiplatelet therapy alone in an unselected population has not been evaluated. METHODS Patients were randomized to conventional a...

OBJECTIVES Reduction of cognitive function is a possible side effect after coronary artery surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). We investigated the effect of single versus dual antiplatelet therapy on cognitive performance in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) with CPB. METHODS 50 consecutive CABG patients with preoperative intake of aspirin were compared to 49 ...

Hemostasis is a tightly regulated physiological sequence of events that maintains vascular integrity and imminent blood loss after vessel injury. Platelets play a critical role in primary hemostasis and in regulation of coagulation. Under physiological conditions, hemostasis and thrombosis are in a fragile equilibrium. Uncontrolled platelet activation leads to intravascular thrombosis and organ...

Antiplatelet agents are a cornerstone of therapy for patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease. There is presently a lack of comprehensive guidelines focusing on the use of antiplatelet drugs in patients currently manifesting or at elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. The Canadian Antiplatelet Therapy Guidelines Committee reviewed existing disease-based guidelines and subsequently publ...

Dual antiplatelet treatment with aspirin and clopidogrel is the antithrombotic treatment recommended after an acute coronary syndrome and/or coronary artery stenting. The evidence for optimal antiplatelet therapy for patients, in whom long-term treatment oral anticoagulation is mandatory, is however scarce. To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the various antithrombotic strategies adopted in ...

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, an...

Antiplatelet agents are a cornerstone of therapy for patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease. There is presently a lack of comprehensive guidelines focusing on the use of antiplatelet drugs in patients currently manifesting or at elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. The Canadian Antiplatelet Therapy Guidelines Committee reviewed existing disease-based guidelines and subsequently publ...