Antithrombotic therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention from the Japanese perspective

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has become a standard-of-care procedure in patients with acute and chronic coronary syndrome. Adjunctive antithrombotic therapy following PCI is the cornerstone of pharmacological treatment to prevent ischemic events. Dual antiplatelet therapy, a combination of aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor, has been proven as an initial antithrombotic regimen to reduce thrombotic events in patients undergoing PCI. However, the optimal antithrombotic strategy such as appropriate duration of dual antiplatelet therapy and the safe and effective combination of oral anticoagulation with antiplatelet therapy remains under debate. Since Japanese patients have different risk profiles for both thrombotic and bleeding events compared with Western population, optimal antithrombotic regimen may be different. Recently, the evidence in this field has been rapidly evolving and the antithrombotic strategy varies widely in clinical practice. In this clinical expert consensus document, we provide an in-depth review concerning antithrombotic strategies after PCI from Japanese perspective.