Background: Patients over 75 account for more than one third of those presenting with myocardial infarction and more than 50% of intrahospital mortality. There are no specific guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in the elderly.
Setting: Although antithrombotic therapy seems to be effective and safe in such patients, it requires specific precautions and treatment adjustments because of the higher bleeding risk due to comorbidities such as renal function impairment and malnutrition.
Results: Scientific evidence concerning elderly patients is scarce as they are either excluded or underrepresented in most randomized trials. Overall, the antithrombotic therapy needs to be adapted to avoid complications, mainly bleeding complications, without compromising the effectiveness of the treatment in this high-risk population.
Conclusion: In the present paper, we review the current treatment strategies in ACS while focusing on data concerning the elderly, according to available data in pivotal trials and in both AHA/ACC and ESC guidelines.
Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome; Anticoagulation; Antiplatelet therapy; Elderly patients.