Review ArticleVolume 74, Issue 5, August 2019
JOURNAL:J Am Coll Cardiol. Article Link
Antithrombotics From Aspirin to DOACs in Coronary Artery Disease and Atrial Fibrillation (Part 3/5)
FWA Verheugt, JM ten Berg, RF Storey et al.
ABSTRACT
For secondary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD), oral
antiplatelet therapy is essential. In case of coronary intervention,
temporary dual antiplatelet therapy is mandatory as well. Recently,
low-dose oral anticoagulation has entered the CAD arena. Atrial
fibrillation (AF) is often seen in CAD and vice versa. In most patients
stroke prevention in AF consists of oral anticoagulation. In many cases
of CAD in patients with AF, anticoagulation has to be combined with
antiplatelet agents (so called, dual pathway antithrombotic therapy).
Excess bleeding in these conditions is a rapidly rising problem. This
review addresses the antithrombotic options in CAD alone, in AF alone,
and in their combination, when either an invasive or a noninvasive
approach has been chosen.