Platelet function, or clot formation, is difficult to assess, but extremely important because inadvertent or excessive platelet activation underlies many common cardiovascular disorders, such as myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and stroke. In Platelet Function: Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment, a panel of leading researchers and clinicians review the latest findings on the complexities of platelet function and the various means of inhibiting platelet clot formation. The authors delineate an up-to-date picture of platelet biology and describe methods for assessing platelet function, including the commonly used platelet aggregation, thromboxane production, procoagulant function, platelet function under flow, and the expression of platelet activation markers. The focus is both on the technology and the outcome of research on platelets, including the fast developing fields of proteomics and genomics and their application to platelet research. The clinical applications of the various methods for the assessment of platelet function in vivo, as well as antiplatelet therapy, are fully discussed.
Comprehensive and state of the art, Platelet Function: Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment offers vascular researchers and clinicians a sound foundation for understanding platelet biology, assessing thrombotic risk in patients, and determining the rational dosing of antiplatelet agents.