[Inhibitors of platelet aggregation in the therapy of arteriosclerosis obliterans].

The central role of the thrombocytes in the initial atherogenesis and the secondary formation of the thrombus on sclerotically changed walls of the vessels is the basis of all experiments to perform a primary or secondary prevention of the atherosclerosis with thrombocyte aggregation inhibitors. Of the numerous thrombocyte-inhibiting substances acetyl salicylic acid, dipyridamol and sulfinpyrazone proved most suitable for clinical purposes. Apparantly for methodical reasons experiments of a primary prevention of the atherosclerosis with aggregation inhibitors have hitherto not be performed. On the other hand, in numerous quantitatively very different studies on patients with manifest cerebral, coronary and peripheral arteriosclerosis the influencibility of the course of the disease was tested by thrombocyte inhibitors. Since correct prospective studies are connected with enormous organisational expenditure and must extend for a longer period many extensive examinations have not yet finished. In the present survey the hitherto existing reports from literature are critically summarized, taking into particular consideration the per ipheral angioorganopathies and first informations on an own study concerning the prophylaxis of the diabetic angiopathy with Micristin are given. The present state of knowledge allows the conclusion that the well founded theoretical concept is apparantly confirmed by practice. However, the successes observed could be statistically ascertained only in individual cases, so that at present a final estimation of the prophylactic value of these preparations is not yet possible.