Clinical Use of Clopidogrel in Acute Coronary Syndrome

Acute instable atherosclerotic plate in the basis of the pathophysiology of the acute coronary syndrome and it is divided on two big groups: a) acute coronary syndrome without ST elevation (NONSTEMI) and b) myocardial infarction with ST elevation (STEMI). Clopidogrel belongs to the group of antiaggregation drugs which inhibit ADP receptors and on that way prevent platelets aggregation. The clinical confirmation of the clopidogrel efficiency is confirmed trough 4 big clinical studies: CAPRIE, CURE, COMMIT/CCS 2 and CLARITY-TIMI 28 studies. In CAPRIE study, clopidogrel showed moderate but significant advantage comparing to aspirin in prevention of the secondary ischemic cerebrovascular stroke and myocardial infarction. The results of CURE study showed that doubled combined therapy with clopidogrel and aspirin brought the reduction of the relative risk of cardiovacular events with patients with acute coronary syndrome without ST elevation. The results of this study showed that the group of patients which received clopidogrel beside aspirin and thrombolytic therapy it came to the reduction of the occluded arteries. In COMMIT were also involved the patients with the acute myocardial infarction with ST elevation. Total number of lethal cases of the repeated myocardial infarctions or acute brain stroke was smaller in a group which was receiving clopidogrel beside thrombolytic therapy and aspirine in comparison with the placebo group. The results of CLARITY and COMMIT studies gave us recommendation that patients with acute myocardial infarction with ST elevation which have thrombolytic therapy or percutaneous coronary intervention should receive clopidogrel as well.