Anti-platelet drugs are drugs used to prevent platelet aggregation and prevent heart disease or stroke. Blood clotting factors are normal in the body to heal injury and wounds where it stops the blood from exiting the body. Usually platelet aggregation is a good thing; but in cases where platelets form in the blood vessels, it interferes in the way of smooth flow of RBC's in the blood vessels, and causes the RBC's to clog and stops the flow of blood back to or from the heart, and therefore causes any form of heart disease.
There are things that increase and decrease platelet aggregation in the body; henceforth, factors that increase or decrease formations of a blood clot or heart diseases.
Factors that increase platelet aggregation are such as:
- Thromboxane A2 (TXA2)
- Adenosine Di-Phosphate (ADP)
- Serotonin 5-HT2 receptors
- GP IIb/IIIa receptors
Factors that decrease platelet aggregation are such as:
- Prostacyclin (PGI2)
- cAMP
- cGMP
So from these factors, we can gather around the types of anti-platelet medication that can be used to prevent strokes, clots, and attacks.
Some main types of anti-platelet agents are:
↓ Thromboxane A2 - synthesis
ADP - receptor blockers
Selective 5-HT2 antagonist
GP Iib/IIIa receptor blockers
Prostacyclin (PGI2) analogues
↑cAMP
↑cGMP
The 5 main types we will discuss are:
↓ Thromboxane A2 - synthesis
ADP - receptor blockers
↑cGMP
GP IIb/IIIa receptor blockers
Prostacyclin (PGI2) analogues
