What are antiplatelet medications, and why are they used in the treatment of lupus?
Clopidogrel (Plavix, Clopilet) and ticlopidine (Ticlid) are antiplatelet medicines (a.k.a., “platelet antagonists”) that help to prevent blood clots (thromboses). By preventing these clots, platelet antagonists help to prevent heart attack, stroke, and other complications. Lupus patients are at an increased risk for blood clots due to the prevalence of a condition known as antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS). There are different kind of antiphospholipid antibodies, namely lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin antibody, and an antibody called anti-beta2 glycoprotein I. APS is also sometimes called Hughes Syndrome after the British doctor who first described it in the 1980s. Virtually 50% of lupus patients have antiphospholipid antibodies, but only 10% experience complications associated with APS, including miscarriages, stroke, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). People who do not have lupus can also have antiphospholipid syndrome, but lupus patients comprise about 50% of people who hav
