Antiplatelet agents have a beneficial effect in reducing all cause mortality and fatal cardiovascular events in patients with IC .
BACKGROUND Peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ) is common and is a marker of systemic atherosclerosis .
Patients with symptoms of intermittent claudication ( IC ) are at increased risk of cardiovascular events ( myocardial infa rct ion ( MI ) and stroke ) and of both cardiovascular and all cause mortality .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness of antiplatelet agents in reducing mortality ( all cause and cardiovascular ) and cardiovascular events in patients with intermittent claudication .
Platelet anti-aggregating activity and tolerance of clopidogrel in atherosclerotic patients.
The anti-aggregating activity of five rising doses of clopidogrel has been compared to that of ticlopidine in atherosclerotic patients . The aim of this study was to determine the dose of clopidogrel which should be tested in a large scale clinical trail of secondary prevention of ischemic events in patients suffering from vascular manifestations of atherosclerosis [ CAPRIE ( Clopidogrel vs Aspirin in Patients at Risk of Ischemic Events ) trial ] . A multicenter study involving 9 haematological laboratories and 29 clinical centers was set up . One hundred and fifty ambulatory patients were r and omized into one of the seven following groups : clopidogrel at doses of 10 , 25 , 50 , 75 or 100 mg OD , ticlopidine 250 mg BID or placebo . ADP and collagen-induced platelet aggregation tests were performed before starting treatment and after 7 and 28 days . Bleeding time was performed on days 0 and 28 . Patients were seen on days 0 , 7 and 28 to check the clinical and biological tolerability of the treatment . Clopidogrel exerted a dose-related inhibition of ADP-induced platelet aggregation and bleeding time prolongation . In the presence of ADP ( 5 microM ) this inhibition ranged between 29 % and 44 % in comparison to pretreatment values . The bleeding times were prolonged by 1.5 to 1.7 times . These effects were non significantly different from those produced by ticlopidine . The clinical tolerability was good or fair in 97.5 % of the patients . No haematological adverse events were recorded . These results allowed the selection of 75 mg once a day to evaluate and compare the antithrombotic activity of clopidogrel to that of aspirin in the CAPRIE trial
Antiplatelet agents have a beneficial effect in reducing all cause mortality and fatal cardiovascular events in patients with IC .
BACKGROUND Peripheral arterial disease ( PAD ) is common and is a marker of systemic atherosclerosis .
Patients with symptoms of intermittent claudication ( IC ) are at increased risk of cardiovascular events ( myocardial infa rct ion ( MI ) and stroke ) and of both cardiovascular and all cause mortality .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness of antiplatelet agents in reducing mortality ( all cause and cardiovascular ) and cardiovascular events in patients with intermittent claudication .