BMJ  2008;336:166-167 (26 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.39405.635498.80 (published 17 January 2008)

Editorials

Aspirin resistance in cardiovascular disease

Carries a worse prognosis, but may be indicative of pre-existing higher risk

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Aspirin has clear benefits in cardiovascular disease. It reduces total mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cardiovascular morbidity in people with cardiovascular disease or those at high risk of the disease; it is also cheap, relatively safe, and easy to use.¹ So why does aspirin fail to work in some people who take it as prescribed? Research on this clinical "resistance" to aspirin has tried to assess whether the effect on the in vitro activation of platelets depends only on the dose and type of antithrombotic agent given, or whether some people respond poorly ("resist") to a specific drug, as some people do to specific antibiotics. In the accompanying systematic review, Krasopoulos and colleagues assess whether resistance to aspirin is related to cardiovascular outcomes in people with cardiovascular disease.²

To date, most research has focused on whether aspirin resistance really exists, whether antiplatelet resistance is specific to certain agents or classes of . . . [Full text of this article]

¹ Division of Cardiology, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy, ² Institute of Cardiology, Catholic University, 00136 Rome, Italy

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Articles

Aspirin "resistance" and risk of cardiovascular morbidity: systematic review and meta-analysis

George Krasopoulos, Stephanie J Brister, W Scott Beattie, and Michael R Buchanan
BMJ 2008 336: 195-198. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Collaborative meta-analysis of randomised trials of antiplatelet therapy for prevention of death, myocardial infarction, and stroke in high risk patients

Antithrombotic Trialists' Collaboration
BMJ 2002 324: 71-86. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Altered blood rheology

Les Simpson
bmj.com, 25 Jan 2008 [Full text]

Aspirin resistance in cardiovascular disease: Muddy waters?

Ashok I Handa, et al.
bmj.com, 20 Feb 2008 [Full text]