Types of medicine
What Is an Antiplatelet? Aspirin and Clopidogrel Explained
Antiplatelet · say it: an-tee-PLAYT-litAlso written: antiplatelet drug, antiplatelet agent, platelet inhibitor, blood thinner
Short answer
An antiplatelet is a medicine, such as aspirin or clopidogrel, that stops platelets clumping together to form clots in arteries.
What it means
Platelets are tiny blood cells that clump together to plug a damaged blood vessel. Antiplatelet medicines make platelets less sticky, which lowers the chance of clots forming in arteries. Examples include low-dose aspirin, clopidogrel, prasugrel and ticagrelor. They are often used after a heart attack, stroke, stent placement or in peripheral arterial disease.
Antiplatelet labels warn about bleeding, because platelets also stop normal bleeding. They advise telling dentists and surgeons that you take one, reporting black stools, blood in urine or vomit, or unusual bruising, and not stopping the medicine early, especially after a stent, without speaking to the prescriber, because that can raise the risk of a heart attack or stent clot.
Antiplatelets are different from anticoagulants (such as warfarin or apixaban), which work on clotting proteins in the blood. Both are sometimes called 'blood thinners', and some people take both, which raises bleeding risk further.
Where you may see it
- Clopidogrel, ticagrelor and aspirin labels under 'Bleeding'
- Cardiology and stroke discharge summaries
- Pre-operative and dental medicine checks
📄 How it looks on a report
Premature discontinuation increases the risk of stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and death.
🙅 What it does not mean
- An antiplatelet is not the same as an anticoagulant, though both are called blood thinners.
- Bruising more easily is common, but heavy or unusual bleeding should be reported.
- Do not stop it before a procedure without asking the prescriber who started it.
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Antiplatelet”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Amoxicillin
a penicillin-class antibacterial medicine that works against bacteria
- Apixaban
A factor Xa inhibitor, a blood thinner medicine (anticoagulant)
- Aspirin
a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and a platelet aggregation inhibitor
- Azithromycin
a macrolide antibacterial (antibiotic) medicine
- Citalopram
a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a type of antidepressant medicine
- Clopidogrel
A platelet inhibitor of the P2Y12 type (a thienopyridine). It is a blood thinner that keeps platelets from sticking together.
- Diclofenac Sodium
A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). The FDA class is not listed on the label.
- Duloxetine
A serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) type of antidepressant medicine
- Escitalopram
a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a type of antidepressant
- Fluoxetine
a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), a type of antidepressant medicine
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Antiplatelet” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
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General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.