Acute and long-term antiplatelet therapy.

Clinical presentations of atherothrombotic vascular disease, i.e., acute coronary syndromes, cerebrovascular events and events associated with peripheral arterial disease, are the major causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Platelet activation and aggregation play an important role in the progression and clinical presentation of atherothrombotic disease, and antiplatelet therapy improves outcome in patients with atherothrombotic vascular disease. Aspirin has been the cornerstone of antiplatelet therapy for many decades, but in recent years, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) receptor antagonists, mainly clopidogrel and ticlopidine, and glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa (integrin alpha IIb beta 3) inhibitors have also shown similar effectiveness. This review briefly summarizes the major clinical trials and recommendations for the efficacy and safety of antiplatelet therapy in patients with established atherothrombotic disease.