Aspirin to Prevent Arterial Thrombosis

Abstract

More than 10 years have elapsed since the Journal first published the results of a clinical trial of the use of aspirin to prevent thrombosis.¹ The possibility that aspirin might have an antithrombotic effect was an obvious corollary to the demonstration² that it inhibited platelet function by blocking the enzyme cyclooxygenase, which converts arachidonic acid to prostaglandin endoperoxides and ultimately to the powerful platelet stimulant thromboxane A₂. Because of the prevalence of venous thrombosis and the availability of sensitive methods for its diagnosis, early studies of aspirin examined its use in this disorder, even though it was recognized . . .