ABSTRACT
Vascular diseases affecting the brain, heart, eye and peripheral vasculature share similarities in aetiology in that the underlying pathogenetic mechanism is atherosclerosis. They have similar demographic characteristics, vascular risk factors and prognosis and have some similarities in their response to therapy. In general, antiplatelet agents cause a relative risk reduction of about 25% of subsequent vascular events among patients with all types of vascular disease compared with placebo (Antiplatelet Trialists’ Collaboration, 1994).
