Antiplatelet Agents in Acute Coronary Syndromes

John W. Eikelboom; Sonia Anand

doi:10.1055/s-2004-817689

Seminars in Vascular Medicine, Table of Contents

Semin Vasc Med 2003; 03(4): 403-414
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-817689

THERAPEUTICS

Antiplatelet Agents in Acute Coronary Syndromes

John W. Eikelboom¹ , Sonia Anand²

¹Department of Haematology, Royal Perth Hospital and Department of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
²Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

Abstract

ABSTRACT

Plaque disruption, platelet activation, and intracoronary artery thrombus formation are the key events in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes. Antiplatelet therapies significantly reduce the risk of ischemic complications both during the acute phase and in the long term in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Aspirin remains the cornerstone of antiplatelet therapy, but there is incremental benefit when clopidogrel or ticlopidine is added to aspirin. Dual antiplatelet therapy with the combination of clopidogrel and aspirin is becoming the new standard of care for the management of patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome and undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention and is currently being further evaluated in ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome.

KEYWORDS

Acute coronary syndrome - aspirin - clopidogrel - myocardial infarction - unstable angina

Full Text

References

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