Antiplatelet effects of aspirin with phytosterols: Comparison with non-enteric coated aspirin alone

The novel combination of aspirin and phytosterols may be a potential strategy to treat patients with cardiovascular disease. We sought to determine if the antiplatelet effects of a combination caplet of 81 mg aspirin with 400 mg phytosterols differed from the antiplatelet effects of non-enteric coated aspirin. The first five days of aspirin therapy alone (T1) produced marked reductions in collagen-induced, ADP-induced, and archidonic acid- induced platelet aggregation, and in serum and urine TxB₂ compared to baseline. Five days after randomization to aspirin alone versus aspirin + phytosterols (T2), there were no differences in any measurement of platelet function within each group compared to T1 or between groups. The present study suggests that the antiplatelet effect of non-enteric coated 81 mg twice-daily aspirin therapy alone is not affected by the addition of phytosterols in a combination product.