Aspirin

• Mechanism of Action
• Inhibits cyclooxygenase, the enzyme responsible for production of thromboxanes, prostacyclin and prostaglandins from arachidonic acid.
• • Pharmacology
  • Binds irreversibly to COX, unlike other NSAIDs. Though COX can resynthesize in minutes, platelets (which lack a nucleus) cannot create new COX and thus new platelets need to be produced, which can take up to a week. As a result aspirin is the only NSAID that significantly inhibits platelets and thus is also used for cardiovascular protection.

Clinical Use

• • Indications
  • Prophylaxis – of acute coronary or cerebrovascular events in patients with known cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease
    Pain – including migraine and musculoskeletal injury
  • Fever
  • Inflammation – especially associated with arthritides