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Abstract Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is the umbrella term for the clinical signs and symptoms of myocardial ischemia: unstable angina, non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, it begins when a disrupted atherosclerotic plaque in a coronary artery stimulates platelet aggregation and thrombus formation. Platelet activation is one of the essential mechanisms in the genesis and onset of atherothrombotic complication, thus Antiplatelet therapy is the current criterion standard for the treatment of patients who have acute coronary syndromes. Clopidogrel in combination with aspirin is the current standard of care for reducing cardiovascular events in these patients. However, patients who receive currently available antiplatelet therapy may still develop atherothrombotic events, and ACS remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. In addition, despite the clinical benefits achieved with clopidogrel, significant clinical limitations are associated with its use such as hyporesponsiveness or resistance and pharmacologic interactions reducing its efficacy. Emerging antiplatelet therapy provides more potent and swift platelet inhibition than clopidogrel, as well as the promise of improved clinical outcomes. The ultimate goal remains increased efficacy, or a reduction in ischemic outcomes without an accompanying increase in bleeding. Indeed defining a therapeutic window that maximizes platelet inhibition while minimizing bleeding remains an elusive goal for individual patients. |