Ace Galen Pharmacology Exam 1 in 2026 – Unlock Your Inner Pharma Pro!

NSAIDs reduce platelet aggregation by blocking cyclooxygenase in platelets, which lowers the production of thromboxane A2, a key signal that promotes platelet clumping. With less thromboxane A2, platelets are less likely to stick together, so their aggregation is inhibited. This is why NSAIDs can increase bleeding risk and are used, in at least some contexts, for antiplatelet effects. They don’t primarily affect red blood cells, and they do not enhance aggregation, so the other options don’t fit.