Clopidogrel application: beyond coronary artery disease

Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel, a P2Y₁₂ antagonist, is a cornerstone for treatment of patients with stroke, peripheral arterial disease and acute coronary artery disease, followed with or without percutaneous coronary intervention. In the present issue of Clinical Science, Giachini and co-workers found that clopidogrel could normalize the increased phenylephrine-induced vascular contraction and the impaired acetylcholine-induced vasodilation in mesenteric arteries from AngII (angiotensin II)-infused Sprague–Dawley rats. This might develop a new area for clopidogrel application; however, whether clopidogrel can improve arterial function in patients with hypertension or diabetes, or if clopidogrel outweighs the beneficial effect of aspirin in those patients, remains an open field for future inquiry.