ABSTRACT
Acute coronary syndromes (ACS), including unstable angina (UA), non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are the clinical expression of non-occlusive and occlusive thrombus formation following plaque rupture and superfi cial endothelial cell erosion in patients with coronary atherosclerosis. Antithrombotic therapy is pivotal in the management of atherosclerotic coronary disease, as demonstrated by numerous clinical trials whose fi ndings have been incorporated in clinical practice guidelines. Antithrombotic treatment regimens include antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents, used solely or in combination, to overcome the pathological process of intracoronary thrombus formation. This chapter summarizes the currently available antithrombotic therapies used for the acute and long-term management of patients with established coronary artery disease.
