Platelet polymorphisms and arterial thrombotic disease

Arterial thrombotic disease is one of the most common causes of morbidity a nd mortality in the Western world. In contrast to venous thrombosis, arteri al thrombosis is initiated by platelet activation at sites of vascular wall damage, the latter often related to atheromatous change. Thus, environment al and hereditary conditions that promote vascular damage set the stage for subsequent thrombotic complications. There is a growing body of work that suggests that these thrombotic events may be accelerated by genetic risk fa ctors that promote coagulation or enhance platelet reactivity. In this revi ew, the possible role of platelet membrane receptor polymorphisms as risk f actors for acute thrombotic events such as myocardial infarction and stroke will be reviewed.