This belongs to the group of medicines known as antiplatelets.

In the blood are sticky cells called platelets. When you cut yourself, the platelets stick to each other (clot) to seal the wound. Persantine reduces the stickiness of these platelets, therefore thinning the blood slightly and helping to prevent unwanted blood clots from forming within the body.

Persantine is particularly useful for patients who have had surgery to replace heart valves as it allows the blood to move around the body and through the new valves more easily.

Persantine is also used for patients who have previously had certain types of strokes or suffer from transient ischaemic attacks (attacks in which the blood vessels in the brain become narrow, temporarily cutting off the blood supply).

Persantine is available in tablet and liquid form. It is also available as modified release capsules, which means Persantine is released slowly over the day to give a more even effect.

It is also sometimes known as: Persantin; Persantin Retard. You may notice the use of any of these names on the packaging of your medicine.