Common blood thinners may calm artery inflammation in at-risk patients

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: Group 1: * Male or female age 18 years or older * Willing to participate in the study, and able to give informed consent * Negative pregnancy test for a childbearing age woman * Receiving standard of care * Confirmed atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk based on clinical assessment Group 2: * Male or female age 18 years or older * Willing to participate in the study, and able to give informed consent * Receiving standard of care * Negative pregnancy test for a childbearing age woman * Confirmed diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease (ankle-brachial index below 0.9) with Rutherford grade 1-3. Exclusion Criteria: Group 1: * Diabetes * Receiving any anti-platelet medications within the last two weeks * Receiving any anticoagulant medications within the last two weeks * Receiving statin medications within the last two weeks * Known major organ dysfunction * Significant co-morbidities * Pregnancy or lactating woman * Unwilling, or unable to give informed consent * Presence of co-existing autoimmune disease * Hypersensitivity to aspirin or clopidogrel * Severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh grade C) * Active peptic ulcer * Presence of co-existing inflammatory or autoimmune diseases * Frequent use of medications known to affect platelet function five days before baseline phlebotomy and during the study * Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) * Antihistamines * Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors * Platelet count \< 100 × 109 /L or \> 450 × 109 /L * Anaemia * Any known bleeding diathesis * Currently involved in other clinical research studies Group 2: * Diabetes * Patients with PAD Rutherford category of more than 3 * Receiving any anticoagulant medications within the last two weeks * Known major organ dysfunction * Pregnancy or lactating woman * Unwilling, or unable, to give informed consent * Hypersensitivity to aspirin or clopidogrel * Severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh grade C) * Active peptic ulcer * Presence of co-existing autoimmune disease * Frequent use of medications known to affect platelet function five days before baseline phlebotomy and during the study * Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) * Antihistamines * Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors * Platelet count \< 100 × 109 /L or \> 450 × 109 /L * Anaemia * Any known bleeding diathesis * Currently involved in other clinical research studies