Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of death in Taiwan. Despite the use of current guideline-recommended therapies for secondary prevention, the residual risk of recurrent cardiovascular events remains high in CAD, warranting the need for new treatment options. Antithrombotic drugs are one of the most important medical therapies for CAD. In this article, we review the unmet needs of the current antithrombotic agents and summarize the results of clinical trials with dual antiplatelet therapy in stable CAD. We also review data from a recent study demonstrating the benefits of a dual pathway inhibition strategy with antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy, a new option for CAD treatment. Finally, we propose a treatment algorithm for choosing different antithrombotic regimens for CAD based on current scientific evidence and expert opinions.
