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Anti-Platelet Treatment for Stroke, Heart or Peripheral Artery Disease

Anti-Platelet Treatment (APT) is essential for certain health conditions to reduce the risk of another ischemic (blood clot) event especially during the first year after the event.  The benefit however, has to be carefully weighted with the risk of bleeding for these health conditions such as;

These medications work by reducing the ability of the blood cells to clot by interfering with the platelets in patients with the above health conditions.  The medications can also be used in combination (known as Dual APT) which is often required after a heart procedure.  These medications include;

  • Aspirin
  • Cardiprin
  • Clopidoprel
  • Prasugrel
  • Ticagrelor

Side effects and Drug Interactions

Side effects include nose bleeds, bruising, bleeding from cuts or gums, heavy or prolonged menstrual flow, coughing up blood, bloody or black stools, blood in the urine, headache or dizziness. See your doctor if you experience any of these side effects.

APT should be used with caution in patients who are at increased risk of bleeding which is defined as;

  • Patients over the age of 75 years
  • Patients already taking anti-coagulation medication such as Warfarin
  • History of major bleed within the past 12 months
  • History of a haemorrhagic stroke within the past 12 months
  • Kidney disease or on kidney dialysis
  • Anemia with Haemoglobin less than 11 g/dl
  • Clotting disorder with platelet count less than 100,000

Inform your surgeon or dentist that you are taking anti-platelet treatment BEFORE proceeding with any surgery or dental procedure


Disclaimer. TELEME blog posts contains general information about health conditions and treatments. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information is not advice and should not be treated as such. 

If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition, you should seek immediate medical attention from your doctor or other professional healthcare providers. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website.

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