Does dipyridamole, alone or with acetylsalicylic acid, prevent platelet consumption in patients with artificial heart valves?
Dipyridamole, especially when potentiated by acetylsalicylic acid, effectively prevents platelet consumption caused by artificial heart valves.
Kinetic studies of platelet and fibrinogen in 18 patients with artificial heart valves indicate that platelets are selectively consumed by interaction with the prosthetic valves in an amount directly related to the surface area of the valve. Dipyridamole effectively prevents the valve-related consumption. Although acetylsalicylic acid itself has little capacity to correct the consumption of platelets in this setting, it has a potentiating effect on dipyridamole.
Harker et al. (Thu,) studied this question.