Antiplatelet therapy as an element of primary and secondary prevention of ischemic stroke

Antiplatelet medications are essential in the primary and secondary prevention of stroke. All currently available antiplatelet drugs are platelet aggregation inhibitors acting at various points of application, but they differ in their mechanism of action. Successful treatment and prevention of cerebrovascular diseases with antiplatelet drugs largely depend on the sensitivity and susceptibility of platelets to the impact produced by these medications. Study of changes in platelet functional activity during treatment with antiplatelet drugs allows to monitor the effectiveness of therapy, identify resistance and detect lower reactivity to the drug, as well as to select the proper drug and its dosage. In practice, the approach helps to assess the individual patient response to antiplatelet therapy, choose the effective antiplatelet medication, reduce the risk of long-term complications and recurrent stroke, and, therefore, improve the quality of life and prognosis of the disease