ABSTRACT
This chapter will review the effects of the drugs used for the treatment of atherothrombotic disorders on inflammation and inflammatory biomarkers. While these medications were developed primarily to target components of the thrombotic process, many have been found to have unanticipated inhibitory effects on inflammation and inflammatory biomarkers. Such effects may have potential implications both for the selection of therapy (the choice of one agent vs. another of the same general class) as well as the duration and intensity of this therapy. An additional reason for the clinician to be aware of the anti-inflammatory properties of these agents is that they may provide insights into the mechanism of action of these drugs. While there have been no studies to date designed specifically to determine the clinical significance of such effects, given the growing recognition of the importance of inflammation in atherosclerotic disease, knowledge of the anti-inflammatory effects of such agents has the potential to lead to improved therapeutic strategies and drug development. Accordingly, the effects of such therapies on inflammation and on circulating markers form an important topic. This chapter will systematically examine the effects of the various antiplatelet, antithrombotic, and thrombolytic agents on both inflammation in general and the circulating biomarkers in particular. The review will be restricted to the FDA-approved commercially available agents in the United States. A summary of the relevant clinical studies are provided in Table 1.
