Microparticles are membrane fragments liberated by activated or apoptopic cells. Thought for a long time to be cellular debris with no specific biologic function, in the vascular compartment they are a circulating reservoir of cellular effectors involved in thrombosis, inflammation, vascular remodelling and angiogenesis. High concentrations of circulating procoagulating microparticles found in many cardiovascular diseases indicate the importance of platelet, endothelial and monocytic activation and could contribute to the persistence of atherothrombotic disease. Pharmacological modulation of circulating microparticle concentrations could become a major therapeutic target in the future.