title: Comparison of increased aspirin dose versus combined aspirin plus clopidogrel therapy in patients with diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease and impaired antiplatelet response to low-dose aspirin.
abstract: The effects of therapy with aspirin 300 mg/day and with combined aspirin 100 mg/day plus clopidogrel 75 mg/day on platelet function were compared in patients with diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease and impaired antiplatelet responses to aspirin 100 mg/day. The study population consisted of 151 outpatients with type II diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease who were taking aspirin 100 mg/day. Of the 151 patients, a subgroup of subjects with impaired aspirin response were selected on the basis of the results of platelet aggregometry. Nonresponsiveness to aspirin was defined as mean aggregation > or =69% with 3 micromol/L adenosine diphosphate and mean aggregation > or =70% with 2 micromol/L collagen. Aspirin semiresponders were defined as meeting 1 but not both of these criteria. Nonresponders and semiresponders were randomized equally to aspirin 300 mg/day and aspirin 100 mg/day plus clopidogrel 75 mg/day, and aggregation tests were repeated after 2 weeks. Sixty of the 151 patients with diabetes (40%) were found to respond to aspirin inadequately. Platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate and collagen decreased significantly after aspirin 300 mg/day or combined therapy. Combined treatment was found to have a stronger inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate than aspirin 300 mg/day (p = 0.002). Impaired aspirin response was resolved by increasing the aspirin dose or adding clopidogrel to aspirin (p <0.0001 for each). However, desired platelet inhibition was achieved in significantly more patients by combined treatment than by aspirin 300 mg/day (p <0.05). In conclusion, aspirin 100 mg/day does not inhibit platelet function adequately in a significant number of patients with diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease. Increasing the aspirin dose to 300 mg/day or adding clopidogrel to aspirin can provide adequate platelet inhibition in a significant number of those patients with impaired responses to low-dose aspirin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey. akifduzenli@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mehmet Akif
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Duzenli
authors.forename: Kurtulus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Nazif
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aygul
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soylu
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokac
mesh_terms: D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects*; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D013988:Ticlopidine; D001241:Aspirin