Title of presented paper: Sex differences in antiplatelet therapy -- a review.

Introduction and aim. Antiplatelet therapy constitutes a crucial part of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. Although CVDs were long associated with men, we now know they critically affect women. Nevertheless, there is insufficient and inconsistent data on the effect of monotherapy with aspirin or P2Y12 inhibitor and of dual antiplatelet therapy on females. This review was conducted to summarize the current knowledge and to assess whether sex-specific antiplatelet therapy is required. Material and methods. A literature search was performed using PubMed and Mendeley. Evaluation of abstracts from databases was followed by detailed analysis of 60 papers. It was discussed i) how sex affects platelet biology and response to antiplatelet agents, ii) how sex and gender differences translate into clinical challenges and iii) how women's cardiological care might be improved. Analysis of literature. Evidence from multiple trials suggest that women and men exhibit heterogenous baseline platelet reactivity and respond to antiplatelet therapy in a different way, which is reflected by laboratory results and clinical outcomes. Sex disparities in diagnostic process, medicine prescription, therapy course and clinical outcomes have been reported, suggesting that women suffering from CVD may not receive equitable care. Conclusion. Further investigations with appropriate representation of women are required to understand the complex nature of sex-specific platelet response. As far as guidelines recommend the same treatment strategies in both sexes, there is a need to advocate equality in management of females and males with CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]