Many faces of acetylsalicylic acid (on the 120th anniversary of the discovery of the antiplatelet)

Acetylsalicylic acid opens the era of chemotherapy drugs as the first product manufactured at the beginning in the laboratory and in the factory. It was derived from two plants: white willow and meadow sweet. Its chemical formula is almost identical to the original compound - salicylal and only a little needed work. Sales of acetylsalicylic acid in the world has increased significantly in the last decade of the twentieth century and retain a strong position with regard to its wide use for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases as the gold standard of the antithrombotic therapy. Its efficacy and safety have been confirmed by numerous controlled studies.

Key words

Acetylsalicylic acid, antiplatelet, clinical trials.