Platelets and atherothrombosis: causes, targets and treatments for thrombosis.

Arterial thrombosis is the acute complication that develops on the chronic lesions of atherosclerosis and reasons heart attack and stroke, today the most common causes of mortality in developed countries. According to the WHO, 17.1 million people died world wide of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), per year, accounting for one-third of all deaths globally. On the basis of current estimates from the American Heart Association, more than 60 million people in the United States alone have one or more forms of cardiovascular disease, and a high proportion of these individuals are at increased risk of arterial thrombosis. The involvement of platelets in atherogenesis and the subsequent formation of occlusive thrombi depend on platelets' adhesive properties and the ability to respond to stimuli with rapid activation. By understanding the multifaceted mechanisms involved in platelet interactions with vascular surfaces and aggregation, new approaches can be tailored to selectively inhibit the pathways most relevant to the pathological aspects of atherothrombosis. The present review aims to describe the haemostasis phenomenon along with the centrality of the platelet in atherothrombosis, and briefly looks at the efficacy of reported antiplatelet agents.