Drug Treatments Commonly Used in Cardiovascular Devices

2 Drug Treatments Commonly Used in Cardiovascular Devices 

Different drugs have been incorporated in cardiovascular devices in order to treat the clinical complications associated with the surgical procedures. After both stent implantation and bypass grafting, restenosis and thrombosis need to be prevented. 

Nowadays, drug therapy aims to prevent surface mediated platelet activation through at least 12 months of dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and a P2Y12 receptor antagonist). Clopidogrel and tioclopidine are the most commonly used [133]. 

On the other hand, in order to avoid restenosis antitumoral agents with antiproliferative action have been included into the studied devices, like Paclitaxel (Taxol) and Sirolimus. 

Paclitaxel has shown potent and sustained inhibitory effects on smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration in cell culture. This makes paclitaxel a very promising candidate for local drug therapy intended to address the proliferative and migratory processes involved in restenosis [135]. 

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