Background: A 300 mg clopidogrel loading-dose (LD) is widely used as an adjunct antithrombotic treatment to reduce the risk of thrombotic events early after coronary stenting (CS). Antithrombotic drugs commonly used during percutaneous coronary interventions, such as heparin and platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, but not clopidogrel LD, are weight-adjusted, and few data are available on which is the most effective clopidogrel LD regimen. The aim of this study was to assess whether body mass index (BMI) influenced platelet response to clopidogrel LD in patients undergoing CS.
Methods: Adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation (PA) was assessed by light transmittance aggregometry in 48 patients on aspirin treatment undergoing CS receiving a 300 mg clopidogrel LD at intervention time. PA was assessed at baseline and up to 24 hours after intervention. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to BMI: overweight (BMI greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2; 29 patients) and normal weight (BMI<25 kg/m2; 19 patients). PA was significantly higher in overweight than in normal weight patients at baseline (60.1+/-18.6%; versus 47.6+/-13.5%; p=0.01), at 24 hours (42.3+/-18.4% versus 38.5+/-18.3%; p=0.02) and during the overall study time (p=0.025). Percentage of inhibition of PA 24 hours following clopidogrel LD was suboptimal (<40%) in 59% and 26% of overweight and normal weight patients, respectively (p=0.04). An elevated BMI was the only independent predictor of suboptimal platelet response.
Conclusion: These data suggest that overweight patients may need a higher loading-dose of clopidogrel and/or an adjunct antithrombotic treatment to adequately inhibit platelet aggregation early after CS.