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No platelet aggregation rebound seen with discontinuation of clopidogrel.

By Jeremy Cockerill | February 1, 2010

MedPage Today (2/1, Bankhead) reports that “no evidence of a platelet aggregation rebound occurs with abrupt discontinuation of clopidogrel (Plavix) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI),” according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Researchers found that “values for adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation did not differ significantly between patients whose clopidogrel therapy was withdrawn abruptly and those in whom clopidogrel was tapered before discontinuation.” The investigators also found that “tapering of clopidogrel does not lead to lower platelet aggregation values after clopidogrel withdrawal.”