Antiplatelet or Anticoagulant Drugs Overview

Antiplatelet/Anticoagulant Drugs

Antiplatelet drugs work by blocking or reducing formation of blood colts by activating platelet substances and humoral coagulation system (A process that form blood clots). Although blood clotting is an essential natural process for healing, it may lead to dangerous and life threatening health condition if it happens in arteries, capilleries of heart.

When a person is wounded, body system sends platelets to the site which group together to form a blood clots which eventually stops the bleeding. Blood clots formation, even when a person is not bleeding because of injuries, blocks blood flow in heart artery and leads to heart attack (or any serious cardiovascular condition) and stroke

Antiplatelet drugs are effective drugs for serious heart related health condition such as stroke, heart attack, blockages in heart.

Depend upon type of action and mechanism Antiplatelet drugs are classified in four categories.

ADP Antagonists (ADP-receptor blockers: thienopyridines)

Phosphodiesterease Inhibitors

COX Inhibitors

GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors

 

ADP Antagonists also known as ADP-receptor blockers thienopyridines: Ticlopidine (Ticlid) and clopidogrel (Plavix) belong to this class. Drugs of this class blocks platelets aggregations by preventing binding of ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate) to its receptors. Since platelets aggregation forms blood clots the interference stops formation of more blood clots.

Clopidogrel when taken along with aspirin lowers risk of other serious heart problem in patients with acute coronary syndromes by 18%-21%.

Phosphodiesterease (PDE) Inhibitors

PDE Inhibitors works by blocking uptake of platelets aggregating compounds such as adenosine and inhibits cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase. Abundance of adenosine deaminase and phosphodiesterase causes an accumulation of adenosine, adenine nucleotides, and cyclic AMP which blocks platelet aggregation and vasodilation.\r\n\r\n

COX Inhibitors

Aspirin which fall in this category inhibits COX (Abbreviation of cyclooxygenase). COX play role of a mediator of the blood clotting process by generating an enzyme, known as Thromboxane, which activates platelets aggregation.

Aspirin along with other drug compound significantly reduces the risk of life threatening serious heart events in patients. It is also a first-line antiplatelet drug recommended for patients who are belived to be at risk of serious cardiovascular events.

GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors

These drugs have Eptifibatide as an active ingredient. Eptifibatide works by binding itself to receptors of platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIa (GP is one of the platelets that triggers off blood clotting process) and leaves no place for glycoprotein IIb/IIa. This prevents the of fibrinogen and other adhesive ligands to bind its receptors and leads to blockade of platelet aggregation and prevents blood clots development.