Aspirin and Antiplatelet Medications
Aspirin for the Prevention and Treatment of Heart
Attacks and Strokes (Coronary and Cerebral Vascular Disease)
Medical Author: Dennis Lee, MD
Medical Editor: Jay Marks, MD
What is aspirin?
Aspirin (known chemically as acetyl salicylic acid and often
abbreviated as ASA) belongs to a class of medications called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs or NSAIDs. Aspirin and other NSAIDs, for example, ibuprofen (Motrin,
Advil) and naproxen (Aleve), are widely used to treat fever, pain, and
inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, tendonitis, and bursitis. In addition to its effects on fever,
pain, and inflammation, aspirin
also has an
important inhibitory effect on platelets in the blood. This antiplatelet effect is used
to prevent the platelets from initiating the formation of blood clots inside
arteries, particularly in individuals who have atherosclerosis or are otherwise
prone to develop blood clots in their arteries.
What are platelets and antiplatelet medications, and how do they work?
What are platelets?
Platelets are particles (actually remnants of cells)
circulating in the blood that are necessary in order for blood clots to form.
Platelets initiate the formation of blood clots by clumping together, a process
called platelet
aggregation. Clumps of platelets then are further bound together by a protein
(fibrin)
formed from clotting factors present in the blood. The clumps of
platelets and fibrin make up the blood clot.
Blood clots are important because they stop us from bleeding when we get cut.
However, if a blood clot forms inside an artery , it blocks the flow of
blood to the tissue that the artery supplies, and that can damage the tissue.
For example, a blood clot that forms in a coronary artery supplying blood to
heart muscle causes a heart attack,
and a blood clot that forms in an artery supplying blood to the brain causes a
stroke.
What are antiplatelet agents?
Antiplatelet agents are medications that block the formation of blood clots
by preventing the clumping of platelets. There are three types of antiplatelet agents: aspirin, the thienopyridines, and the glycoprotein IIb/IIIa
inhibitors. These agents differ in four ways: the way
in which they prevent platelets from clumping, their potency (how strongly they prevent clumping),
how rapidly they work, and their cost.
How do antiplatelet agents work?
Aspirin
Aspirin prevents blood from clotting by blocking the production of
thromboxane A-2, a chemical that platelets produce that
causes them to clump. Aspirin accomplishes this by inhibiting the enzyme
cyclo-oxygenase-1 (COX-1) that produces thromboxane A-2. While other NSAIDs also
inhibit the COX-1 enzyme, aspirin is the preferred NSAID for use as an
antiplatelet agent because
its inhibition of the COX-1 enzyme lasts much longer than the other
NSAIDs. Thus, aspirin's antiplatelet effect lasts for days while the other
NSAIDs' antiplatelet effects last for only hours.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
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From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com  |
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- Stroke - Learn about strokes. A stroke is the sudden death of brain cells due to a problem with the blood supply. Source:MedicineNet
- Coronary Artery Bypass Graft - Read about heart bypass surgery (coronary artery bypass graft surgery, CABG) including how coronary artery disease is diagnosed, treated, recovery time, risks and complications, and the long term results after CABG. Source:MedicineNet
- Angina - Learn about the causes and symptoms of angina like pressure, heaviness, tightening, squeezing, and aching across the chest. There are two types of angina, stable (the most common) and unstable. Source:MedicineNet
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