Calcium and platelets

Platelets have an essential role in primary haemostasis to arrest bleeding at a site of vessel wall disruption. Insufficient platelet activation or a reduced platelet number give rise to bleeding syndromes. On the other hand, high platelet activation contributes to thrombosis, which often starts with platelet deposition on a damaged atherosclerotic plaque. The formation of vaso-occlusive platelet thrombi or aggregates, usually with repeated embolization, is a major cause of arterial thrombosis, as occurring in the heart and brains, and resulting in myocardial infarction and so-called cerebrovascular accidents (stroke). Although there is little doubt that coronary and cerebral artery diseases are multifactorial disorders, where also abnormal coagulation, fibrinolysis, vessel wall function and blood flow dynamics can play a role, intervention studies show that in particular antiplatelet drugs provide a risk reduction of one out of every four cases.keywordsplatelet activationhuman plateletplatelet adhesioncalcium responsecollagen receptorthese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.