Open AccessCombination therapy for acute myocardial infarction: Glycoprotein ilb/iiia inhibitors plus thrombolysis
Author(s) -
Can Christopher P.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
clinical cardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.263
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1932-8737
pISSN - 0160-9289
DOI - 10.1002/clc.4960221607
Subject(s) - medicine , myocardial infarction , thrombolysis , timi , cardiology , aspirin , eptifibatide , reperfusion therapy , fibrinolysis , abciximab , percutaneous coronary intervention
Although thrombolytic therapy has been a major advance in the treatment of acute ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI), new thrombolytic agents have been unable to improve early reperfusion. Because aspirin has been shown to be a very effective adjunctive agent in patients with acute MI, it has been hypothesized that the use of platelet glycoprotein (GP) Ilb/IIIa receptor inhibitors combined with thrombolytic agents would lead to more effective platelet inhibition and improved angiographic and clinical efficacy. Emerging experimental and clinical data, including the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI)‐14 trial, suggest that combining GP Ilb/IIIa receptor inhibition with reduced‐dose thrombolytic therapy improves early infarct‐related artery patency without increasing bleeding risk. Thus, given the strong clinical and physiologic rationale, clinical investigation in patients with acute ST‐segment elevation MI is currently focused on combining GP Ilb/IIIa receptor inhibitors with reduced‐dose fibrinolytic agents in acute MI.