Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Coronary Artery Disease: Comparison Between ACC/AHA 2016 and ESC 2017 Guidelines

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is integral to the management of coronary artery disease (CAD) but there remains uncertainty as to the optimal approach for balancing an individual's risk of atherothrombotic events versus their risk of bleeding complications. A myriad of clinical trials have investigated how factors such as antiplatelet selection or duration of treatment can affect outcomes in both stable CAD and acute coronary syndromes. To aid clinicians in the challenge of applying trial findings to the circumstances of individual patients, the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association and European Society of Cardiology have released focused updates on prescribing DAPT in CAD. While the two guidelines agree on many issues, there are some differences in the recommendations. This article highlights those differences and provides comment on their aetiology.