Hello, susi1950.

HU slows production of platelets. It does not destroy them. As far as I know, at this time, there is no medication that destroys platelets.

Here's a quick Google AI summary of information provided by the National Institutes of Health.

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Hydroxyurea (HU) is the standard first-line therapy for high-risk essential thrombocythemia (ET) patients. It lowers platelet counts to safer levels, actively reduces the risk of life-threatening blood clots (thrombosis), and decreases the size of mutated cell clones (such as JAK2) in the blood.

Here is exactly how hydroxyurea helps patients manage ET:

Normalizing Platelet Counts: ET is characterized by an overproduction of platelets. HU targets rapidly dividing cells in the bone marrow, slowing down the production of blood cells and preventing platelet levels from reaching dangerous, clot-inducing heights.

Preventing Thrombosis: By controlling platelet counts, HU significantly lowers the rates of cardiovascular and thrombotic events, such as heart attacks and strokes, improving overall survival in older patients.

Treating Specific High-Risk Groups: It is the guideline-recommended frontline therapy for patients over 60 or those with a prior history of thrombosis. It can also be prescribed for younger patients facing persistently high platelet counts.

Reducing Driver Mutations: Clinical trials show that HU can successfully reduce the burden of mutated cells (like the JAK2V617F mutation), helping target the underlying genetic drivers of the disease.