ximelagatran and Peripheral-Vascular-Diseases

Because 1.1 million myocardial infarctions occur in the United States alone each year, and 450,000 of them are recurrent infarctions, which carry an inherently greater risk of death and disability than first events, the importance of secondary prevention strategies that can be implemented widely is unparalleled in health care. Antithrombotic therapies, both antiplatelet and anticoagulant, have become the mainstays of these strategies. This article covers the use of chronic antiplatelet and anticoagulation agents after myocardial infarction. It does not include the management of these patients in the acute phase.

Topics: Anticoagulants; Aspirin; Azetidines; Benzylamines; Clopidogrel; Humans; Myocardial Infarction; Peripheral Vascular Diseases; Platelet Activation; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Recurrence; Risk Factors; Thrombolytic Therapy; Thrombosis; Ticlopidine; Vitamin K; Warfarin