The effect of doubling the dose of clopidogrel on platelet aggregation in patients with clopidogrel resistance

Antiplatelet drugs play a pivotal role in the management of patients with acute coronary syndrome. Clopidogrel is an important antiplatelet drug commonly used in the treatment of those patients. However, the variability in patient response to clopidogrel is worrisome because a decreased response may lead to unfavorable clinical outcomes. Thus, it is crucial to study possible ways to overcome this problem. In the current study, we measured platelet aggregation in vitro to identify patients with clopidogrel resistance. Those patients were given double the standard maintenance dose of clopidogrel and platelet aggregation was reassessed. It was found that there was a significant increase in clopidogrel response (p < 0.001). Therefore, we recommend that using double the standard maintenance dose of clopidogrel should be considered in those patients.