Antithrombotic treatment strategies in patients with established coronary atherosclerotic disease
Marco Valgimigli, Victor Aboyans, Dominick J. Angiolillo, Dan Atar, Davide Capodanno, Sigrun Halvorsen, Stefan James, Peter Jüni, Vijay Kunadian, Antonio Landi, Sergio Leonardi, Roxana Mehran, Gilles Montalescot, Eliano Pio Navarese, Josef Niebauer, Angelo Oliva, Raffaele Piccolo, Susanna Price, Robert F. Storey, Heinz Völler, Pascal Vranckx, Stephan Windecker, Keith A.A. Fox
Abstract
Multiple guidelines and consensus papers have addressed the role of antithrombotic strategies in patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD). Since evidence and terminology continue to evolve, the authors undertook a consensus initiative to guide clinicians to select the optimal antithrombotic regimen for each patient. The aim of this document is to provide an update for clinicians on best antithrombotic strategies in patients with established CAD, classifying each treatment option in relation to the number of antithrombotic drugs irrespective of whether the traditional mechanism of action is expected to mainly inhibit platelets or coagulation cascade. With the aim to reach comprehensiveness of available evidence, we systematically reviewed and performed meta-analyses by means of both direct and indirect comparisons to inform the present consensus document.