Clopidogrel hyporesponsiveness

ABSTRACT

Antiplatelet therapy is a cornerstone in cardiovascular medicine. Aspirin and clopidogrel have emerged as critical therapies in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Despite their efficacy, patients on these medications continue to suffer complications. Millions of patients are currently on low-dose antiplatelet therapy but it is unknown how many of these patients are under-treated or on the wrong medication. Clopidogrel hypo responsiveness of [resistance] is an emerging clinical entity with potentially severe consequences such as recurrent myocardial infarction, stroke, or death. The mechanism of resistance remains ill-defined, but there are specific clinical, cellular, and genetic factors that influence therapeutic failure. These factors range from physicians who fail o prescribe these medications despite appropriate indications to polymorphisms of platelet membrane glycoproteins. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of antiplatelet resistance also remains an issue as new bedside tests are developed. By understanding the mechanism of therapeutic failure and by improving the diagnosis of this clinical entity, a new era of individualized antiplatelet therapy may arise with routine measurements of platelet activity in the same way that cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar are followed, thus improving the care for millions of people. This review article focuses on the mechanism of clopidogrel actions, available tools and mechanisms to assess and explain its responsiveness in addition to future management options