Abstract
The use of aspirin and clopidogrel in combination has become part of the standard clinical care of patients with coronary artery disease. The use of this combination provides significant benefits compared with the use of aspirin alone in patients with acute coronary syndromes, and in patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention with stent placement (both bare metal and drug-eluting stents). Clinical trials have demonstrated significant efficacy of this dual therapy; however, there is the potential for significant bleeding complications from the synergistic antiplatelet effects. In total, it appears that when there is vessel injury (mechanical from perctutaneous coronary intervention or a ruptured plaque), dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel results in improved outcomes, albeit with a small but significant inherent risk of increased bleeding.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 815-826 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Expert Opinion on Drug Safety |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2006 |
Keywords
- Aspirin
- Atherothrombosis
- Blood platelet
- Clopidogrel
- Coronary artery disease
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pharmacology