Clotting for the Clinician: An Overview of Thrombosis and Antithrombotic Therapy.

The use of antithrombotic therapy has taken on central importance in the field of cardiovascular disease. Currently, anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs are central to the treatment and the primary and secondary prevention of coronary artery disease. New insights into the "revised" coagulation cascade have highlighted new targets for intervention. In addition, the interactions between the coagulation system and platelets demonstrate ways that anticoagulants may affect platelet function and how antiplatelet agents may have anticoagulant effects. This overview will describe the present understanding of primary and secondary hemostasis, and current and future therapeutic approaches to modify these systems for therapeutic effects in cardiovascular medicine.