Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Patients with High Cardiovascular Risk

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is prevalent throughout the world, with a significant impact on global health. There is a vast collection of data in the medical literature relating to the topic of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in patients considered to be at high cardiovascular (CV) risk. In order to perform a narrative review of literature regarding the use of DAPT in patients with high CV risk, PubMed, Google Scholar and Embase were searched for English-language articles from 1985 to December 2020 by using the medical subject heading terms and keywords 'antiplatelet therapy' and 'high-risk cardiovascular disease', alone or in combination. Both authors critically reviewed the design, population characteristics and results of the selected studies. The topic of DAPT in patients with high CV risk is fluid and constantly evolving. The landmark trials of CURE, TRITON-TIMI 38 and PLATO provided evidence for the optimal use of DAPT in patients after acute coronary syndrome, while the CHARISMA and MATCH trials provided guidance for clinicians for their use in patients with stable coronary artery disease. The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association focused update, published in 2016, and the European Society of Cardiology guidelines, published in 2017, were developed to provide guidance to clinicians based on the available data at the time to be able to choose the appropriate DAPT strategy that would provide patients with the maximum clinical benefit. The management of DAPT in patients with high CV risk is a challenging task, with new data on the subject constantly being reported. Balancing ischaemic benefit with potential bleeding complications adds to the complexity of managing DAPT in these patients. With all the available data and current clinical guidelines, patients deemed at high CV risk should be considered for DAPT, taking into account individual risk:benefit ratio. In most individuals with high CV risk, the net clinical benefit favours the use of DAPT.