The American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recently published the 2012 ACCF/AHA Focused Update of the Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Unstable Angina and Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (Updating the 2007 Guideline and Replacing the 2011 Update).(1) These guidelines were developed in collaboration with multiple societies and represent an important landmark in the management of patients with unstable angina (UA) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). This paper provides a critical overview of some of the clinically relevant novel and modified recommendations proposed by the updated guideline.
Keywords: P2Y12 receptor inhibitors; acute coronary syndrome; antiplatelet; clopidogrel; invasive strategy; myocardial infarction; prasugrel; revascularization; ticagrelor; unstable angina.