These are among the most widely used drugs in the world. Antiplatelet drugs are a part of the class of drugs that are used to decrease platelet aggregation. The drug is quite effective in preventing the formation of thrombus. Antiplatelet drugs are used to decrease the heart attacks and prevent strokes. The drugs are also known to treat those people who are suffering from the problems of blocked arteries in the legs.
What are Antiplatelet drugs, and who needs them?
Antiplatelet drugs are used to prevent the blood platelets from clumping together to form a blood clot. Blood platelets clump together when you bleed to form a mesh-like structure, preventing the blood from flowing endlessly. It is an essential feature of blood to form a clot, which prevents blood loss. However, in some individuals, blood clots can form in the arteries or veins, particularly in areas where they have become significantly narrowed due to the deposition of fat or cholesterol.
An area where fat and cholesterol deposition occur is called plaque. When the blood platelets flow over these areas of plaque, they clump together to form a clot. As the artery becomes completely blocked due to the formation of a clot and the deposition of plaque, the heart muscles have to work harder to pump blood through the artery. This can initiate a mini-stroke or a stroke if the clot forms in an artery located in the brain or connecting the brain to the body. Similarly, a patient with coronary artery disease can face a heart attack or stroke due to the poor blood supply.
Antiplatelet drugs help to prevent such instances. These drugs prevent the potential risks of clot formation.
People who need antiplatelet drugs:
Certain people might need an antiplatelet drug treatment due to various health reasons. A few people who need antiplatelet drugs are:
- People who are at a high risk of having heart disease, but have not been diagnosed yet
- People who have a heart disease along with ‘stable’ angina.
- People who have a heart disease, but with unstable angina pain
- People who have acute coronary syndrome
- People who have undergone a bypass surgery/an angioplasty
- People who have had mini strokes
- People who have had strokes
- People who have coronary artery disease or peripheral artery disease
Classification of different types of antiplatelet drugs:
The different types of antiplatelet drugs are classified into four types:
- ADP antagonists/thienopyridines:
- Ticlopidine
- Clopidogrel
- Prasugrel
- COX inhibitor drugs:
- Aspirin
- Phosphodiesterase inhibitors:
- Dipyridamole
- GP lib/via inhibitors:
- Tirofiban
- Eptifibatide
- Abciximab
How to decide which is the best antiplatelet drug suited for your condition:
The doctor will consider several factors before determining the best antiplatelet medication for your use. The doctor will consider the risks or side effects it might pose to your health. Safety issues, such as allergies and effectiveness, are also taken into consideration. Cost issues are also taken into account before choosing a drug. So, taking different factors into consideration like effectiveness, safety, side effects and cost, the following drugs have been suggested under different clinical circumstances:
- Aspirin Plus Clopidogrel: for people with coronary artery disease/who have had cases of heart attack or stroke, or those who have stent implantation
- Clopidogrel only: for those who are allergic to aspirin or for those who are diagnosed with coronary heart disease
- Aspirin only: for those with peripheral vascular disease
- Aspirin/ aspirin plus dipyridine(Extended-release) / clopidogrel: for those who have had a stroke or mini-strokes
The mechanisms of action of different antiplatelet drugs vary. If too many or multiple antiplatelet drugs are used, then the chances of drug toxicity, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, also increase.
Marie
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