Series on pharmacology in practice. 10. Antithrombotic therapy: role of platelet-inhibitor drugs. III. Management of arterial thromboembolic and atherosclerotic disease (third of three parts).

As already mentioned in the first two parts of this series, the evidence that platelets play an important role in arterial thromboembolic and atherosclerotic disease has led to numerous studies designed to test the possible efficacy of platelet-inhibiting drugs in various cardiovascular conditions in animals and in humans. Although the number of such published studies today probably exceeds 500, for practicality we comment only on those large prospective trials in humans that have followed the strict criteria of drug trials. We specifically refer to patients with valvular heart disease and prosthetic heart valves, patients with cerebrovascular disease, and patients with coronary artery disease.