Antiplatelet agents

What are Antiplatelet agents?

Antiplatelet agents are medicines that reduce the ability of platelets to stick together (called platelet aggregation) and inhibit the formation of blood clots.

Antiplatelet agents play a major role in the treatment and prevention of myocardial infarction (heart attacks), stent thrombosis, and ischemic stroke (strokes caused by a blood clot).

Antiplatelet agents can be divided into three major types:

glycoprotein platelet inhibitors (eg, abciximab, eptifibatide, tirofiban)
platelet aggregation inhibitors (eg, aspirin, cangrelor, cilostazol, clopidogrel, dipyridamole, prasugrel, ticlopidine, ticagrelor)
protease-activated receptor-1 antagonists (eg, vorapaxar).

Antiplatelets are medications that prevent platelets from sticking together and forming blood clots. They’re a common treatment for people at risk of heart attack or stroke.

Antiplatelet medicines work to make your platelets less sticky and thereby help prevent blood clots from forming in your arteries. Aspirin is an antiplatelet medicine that may be used. P2Y12 receptor blockers are another group of antiplatelet medicines.

There are two classes of antithrombotic drugs: anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs. Anticoagulants slow down clotting, thereby reducing fibrin formation and preventing clots from forming and growing. Antiplatelet agents prevent platelets from clumping and also prevent clots from forming and growing.