Antithrombotic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing PCI remains a moving target, yet with a clearer direction!

Approximately, one out of five patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) will undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or suffer from an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Considering their concomitant need for sustained oral anticoagulation therapy (OAC), the challenge is to identify the optimal antithrombotic strategy to prevent thrombotic recurrences for these patients.

During the past few years, randomised clinical trials (WOEST, PIONEER AF-PCI, RE-DUAL PCI, AUGUSTUS, and ENTRUST AF-PCI) have focused on the antithrombotic treatment of patients with AF within the first 12 months after PCI12345. In accordance with their findings, both European and North American guidelines recommend triple antithrombotic therapy (TAT), ...