Clopidogrel efficacy in the cat
Arterial thromboembolism (ATE) is a serious and often life-threatening complication in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) or other heart diseases. It occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) blocks an artery and thus interrupts the flow of blood to organs or limbs. The consequences are often severe tissue damage or infarctions.
Clopidogrel, an antiplatelet agent that inhibits the formation of blood clots by blocking ADP receptors , is often used to prevent ATE in affected animals. In practice, however, the effectiveness of the therapy varies greatly, which indicates the presence of clopidogrel resistance in some animals.
Scientific studies have now identified a genetic variant of the P2RY1 gene that codes for one of the ADP receptors. Cats carrying this variant tend to respond less well to clopidogrel and therefore require an alternative or additional therapy for thrombosis prophylaxis in order to effectively reduce the risk of ATE.
