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Abstract
The excessive accumulation of platelets at sites of vascular injury is a key event in the development of arterial thrombosis, the principal pathogenic mechanism underlying the acute coronary syndromes and ischaemic stroke. In combination, these disorders are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the industrialised world and, as a consequence, the platelet is a major therapeutic target in the management of cardiovascular disease. This perspective focuses on the present state of antiplatelet therapy and potential future strategies to improve the safety and efficacy of antiplatelet agents.
Acknowledgements
JR Hamilton is supported by a CJ Martin Fellowship (no. 166904) and SP Jackson by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC). The authors thank S Schoenwaelder for help with the illustrations and G McGrath for the valuable contributions over the course of his career.
Conflicts of interest
The authors each declare that they have no conflicts of interest.