Choosing Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: How to Reduce the Risk of Death

Abstract

This review presents prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD), risk factors in common, and a considerable worsening of prognosis in their combination. The authors addressed pathophysiological mechanisms of platelet dysfunction and negative changes in the coagulation system in IHD patients with type 2 DM, which predetermine activation of the prothrombotic pathway of hemostasis formation. Difficulties in optimal selection of antithrombotic therapy were demonstrated for both patients with type 2 DM without a history of cardiovascular diseases and IHD patients with type 2 DM. The authors paid attention to the fact that results of randomized clinical studies (RCS) that included patients with type 2 DM and acute coronary syndrome or after coronary revascularization cannot be extrapolated to the entire population of patients with stable IHD. At present, the preferable choice of antithrombotic therapy for patients with type 2 DM and stable IHD is a combination of rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice a day and acetylsalicylic acid 100 mg/day. This combination provides a maximal clinical benefit compared to other strategies presented in RCS.