What are the antiplatelet drugs

The health of platelets is something that each of us should maintain, because only the health of platelets can ensure the health of our body. Therefore, many patients with diseases in this area want to fully understand what antiplatelet drugs are in order to ensure their health. The following is a detailed answer so that you can have a comprehensive understanding.

1. Non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) include direct thrombin inhibitors (dabigatran) and factor Xa inhibitors (rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban). These drugs are fast-acting and are partially excreted through the kidneys, so the dosage needs to be adjusted according to the degree of renal insufficiency. Each drug has the potential for drug interactions with other drugs, including P-glycoprotein substrates (eg, verapamil, dronedarone, and amiodarone).

2. Different doses of NOAC have their own specific indications. For patients with venous thromboembolism, injectable heparin or highly effective NOACs can be used for initial treatment. After initial treatment, conventional doses of NOACs are generally used for the treatment of VTE, but lower doses are sometimes used for an extended period of secondary prevention.

3. Overall, in the Atrial Fibrillation Stroke Prevention Trial, all four NOACs reduced the risk of intracranial hemorrhage compared with warfarin, but also increased the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and edoxaban).

4. NOAC drugs do not require routine monitoring. However, if necessary, the prothrombin time can be used for qualitative assessment of factor Xa inhibitors, and the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) can be used for monitoring direct thrombin inhibitors. There is currently no direct antidote for this class of drugs.

The above is a detailed introduction to what antiplatelet drugs are. For some patients with platelet health problems, in order to ensure that their platelets will not cause serious harm to their bodies, they must have a comprehensive understanding of the antiplatelet drugs introduced above. When they develop a disease, they should use these drugs to control and treat their platelets as soon as possible.