Clinical Medicine Reviews in Vascular Health

The term acute coronary syndrome is used to describe a range of conditions that share a common underlying pathology of interrupted blood flow and subsequent damage to the myocardium. Acute coronary events are unpredictable and can rapidly become life-threatening, largely as a result of clot formation, and one of the primary treatment aims is to limit thrombosis. Such events are a major cause of hospitalization and death worldwide and thus the impact of advances in thrombocardiology is enormous. Acute coronary syndromes can be difficult to diagnose, and a successful clinical outcome depends on accurate assessment of individual risk which is then used to determine the treatment strategy. Recent advances fall in to two main areas: firstly the improvement in understanding of the clinical markers that allow more accurate risk stratification and, secondly, the development of new anti-thrombotic drugs. This review considers current approaches for the management of acute coronary syndromes, highlighting recent advances.