Aspirin and Antiplatelet Medications »
What is aspirin?
Aspirin belongs to a class of medications called
nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs). Aspirin and other NSAIDs, for
example, ibuprofen (for
example, Motrin, Advil) and naproxen (for
example, Aleve), are widely
used to treat fever, pain, and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis,
tendonitis, and bursitis. Aspirin is known chemically as acetyl salicylic acid
and often abbreviated as ASA.
In addition to its effects on pain, fever, and
inflammation, aspirin also has
an important inhibitory effect on platelets in the blood. This antiplatelet
effect is used to prevent blood clot formation inside arteries, particularly in
individuals who have atherosclerosis (narrowing of the blood vessels) of their
arteries, or are otherwise prone to develop blood clots in their arteries.
What are antiplatelet agents?
Antiplatelet agents are medications that block
the formation of blood clots by pre...
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