Shear-induced platelet aggregation increases in patients with proximal and severe coronary artery stenosis.

Background: Shear stress generated in stenosed arteries promotes platelet thrombi formation at the stenosed sites by accelerating the binding of von Willebrand factor (vWF) to platelets. Shear-induced platelet aggregation (SIPA) has been studied in acute coronary syndromes, but not in chronic coronary disease.

Hypothesis: We investigated the effect of both the site and severity of coronary stenosis on SIPA in patients with chronic coronary artery disease.