Which demographic is at a higher risk for cardiovascular events requiring antiplatelet therapy?

The demographic at a higher risk for cardiovascular events requiring antiplatelet therapy is elderly patients with multiple risk factors. As individuals age, they often accumulate a variety of health issues, such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and other chronic conditions that contribute to the overall risk of cardiovascular complications. These risk factors can lead to increased susceptibility to events such as myocardial infarction or stroke, where antiplatelet therapy becomes crucial for prevention.

Elderly patients are more likely to have atherosclerosis—an accumulation of plaques in the arteries—due to prolonged exposure to risk factors and changes in vascular physiology. The presence of multiple risk factors compounds this risk even further, making antiplatelet therapy essential to reduce the likelihood of thrombotic events. In this context, antiplatelet agents, such as aspirin or clopidogrel, are used to inhibit platelet aggregation, thus preventing the formation of blood clots that can lead to serious cardiovascular events.

In contrast, younger adults with no risk factors, children with congenital heart defects, and non-smokers with no family history of cardiovascular disease generally present a lower risk profile for events necessitating intervention with antiplatelet agents. Hence, the elderly population with a combination of