Cilostazol for Prevention of Thrombosis and Restenosis after Intracoronary Stenting

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the potential use of cilostazol in intracoronary stenting.DATA SOURCES:Clinical literature was accessed through MEDLINE (1966–March 2001). Key search terms included cilostazol, intracoronary stenting, and coronary angioplasty. Abstracts of clinical trials presented at major cardiology professional association meetings were also reviewed.DATA SYNTHESIS:Intracoronary stent placement represents the fastest growing medical device implant. Complications of stent implantation include acute and subacute vessel closure, as well as late restenosis. Currently, antiplatelet agents are used for preventive therapy. Cilostazol is a vasodilating antiplatelet agent that reversibly inhibits platelet aggregation induced by many factors. In seven randomized trials comparing cilostazol with either aspirin or ticlopidine, cilostazol was found to be superior to aspirin and equivalent to ticlopidine in decreasing both cardiac events and rates of restenosis. In addition, cilostazol was found to be well tole...