Hemostatic markers and prognosis in ischemic heart disease

Failure of traditional risk factors in identifying patients who develop a cardiac event, has led investigators to focus on other factors involved in precipitating cardiac events. As acute or subacute thrombosis is the major complication of atherosclerotic plaque rupture, attention has been dedicated to prothrombotic markers as possible risk factors. Recently, the role of new laboratory markers in predicting the risk of cardiac events has been evaluated in large epidemiological studies. The results of these studies as well as the value and applicability of new prothrombotic markers in the clinical practice are discussed.