Choosing the optimal antiplatelet therapy in atherosclerotic disease

This special issue of Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy focuses on platelet function and antiplatelet therapy. Platelets play a key role not only in hemostasis and thrombosis, but also in atherogenesis being now considered a potential therapeutic target in several cardiovascular scenarios. Large efforts have been made in the last decades to better understand platelet biology and pathophysiology, and to attempt a more effective therapeutic platelet inhibition. In fact, more profound platelet inhibition is crucial in atherosclerotic disease to reduce the risk of ischemic events, especially after interventional procedures such as percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). However, stronger antiplatelet effect also implies an increased risk of bleeding, which makes necessary a thorough assessment of the individual characteristics in order to choose the most appropriate treatment for each patient