Background: Although clopidogrel reduces the risk of cardiovascular episodes after coronary events and stenting, a substantial number of incidents continue to occur.
Methods and results: The antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel was studied prospectively in 60 consecutive patients who underwent primary angioplasty (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI]) with stenting for acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) to determine whether variability in response to clopidogrel affects clinical outcomes. Patients were stratified into 4 quartiles according to the percentage reduction of ADP-induced platelet aggregation. Although patients in the first quartile were resistant to the effects of clopidogrel (ADP-induced platelet aggregation at day 6, 103+/-8% of baseline), ADP-induced aggregation was reduced to 69+/-3%, 58+/-7%, and 33+/-12% of baseline, respectively, in patients in quartiles 2 through 4 (P<0.01 for all). In addition, epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation and platelet aggregation under flow conditions, assessed by the cone-and-plate(let) analyzer method, were reduced significantly less in the first quartile than in quartiles 2 through 4. Whereas 40% of patients in the first quartile sustained a recurrent cardiovascular event during a 6-month follow-up, only 1 patient (6.7%) in the second quartile and none in the third and fourth quartiles suffered a cardiovascular event (P=0.007).
Conclusions: Up to 25% of STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI with stenting are resistant to clopidogrel and therefore may be at increased risk for recurrent cardiovascular events.