Areas of North America and Western Europe have struggled with repeated waves and emerging variants of SARS CoV-2 infection. Even as some countries and regions strive to return to pre-pandemic behavior, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exert many deleterious effects on the delivery of continuing healthcare for many vulnerable populations. Those affected include patients who would be expected to benefit from evidence-based dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in the management of their acute coronary syndrome. Affected groups also include patients undergoing a percutaneous coronary intervention procedure, or others at increased risk due to their underlying coronary artery disease. A number of perturbations in the routine care of those patients are known to have happened to extents that vary depending on local/national conditions. Here our international panel of experts examines the effects of the pandemic on the management of CAD and consider both “lessons learned” and new or different approaches that might benefit clinicians and patients in the next major health crisis.
Interventional cardiologists, general cardiologists, primary care providers, hospital and health-system pharmacists
Describe the impact of the COVID pandemic in varied geographical settings on scheduled follow-up of patients prescribed DAPT for CAD/ACS/PCI for up to one year on clinical follow-up and medication adherence
Discuss the various challenges faced during the pandemic on the ongoing guidelines- based care of these patients and strategies implemented to address those challenges
Describe from multiple clinical perspectives the “learnings” from this pandemic experience—what worked and what did not, for which groups of patients
Discuss the benefits and shortcomings of telehealth management/follow-up of this group of patients during their prescribed course of DAPT
Outline appropriate preparation for the management of patients whose lifestyle changes and therapy adherence may have changed their risk profile for secondary coronary vascular events
It is the policy of AcademicCME that all faculty, instructors, and planners disclose relevant financial relationships relating to the topics of this educational activity. Any relevant financial relationships are mitigated via a content review by planning committee members and faculty with no relevant financial relationships.
The faculty reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CE activity:
| Faculty | Relationship Identified With: |
| Marc Bonaca, MD, MPH
|
Research/Grant Support: Amgen Inc.; ARCA Biopharma; AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals; Bayer AG; Better Therapeutics, Inc.; CellResearch Corporation; Everlywell; HDL Therapeutics, Inc.; Janssen Global Services, LLC; MedImmune; Novo Nordisk A/G; Osiris Therapeutics; Regen BioPharma, Inc.; Virta Health; WraSer Pharmaceuticals |
| Stefan James, MD | Consultant/Advisor: Medtronic
Research/Grant Support: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals; Bayer AG; Elixir Pharmaceuticals Inc; Janssen Global Services, LLC |
| Sanjit Jolly, MD, MSc | Consultant/Advisor: Medtronic
Research/Grant Support: Boston Scientific Corporation |
| Mikhail Kosiborod, MD | Consultant/Advisor: Amgen Inc.; Applied Therapeutics; AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals; Bayer AG; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH; Eli Lilly and Company; Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.; Janssen Global Services, LLC; Merck & Co., Inc.; Novo Nordisk A/G; Sanofi; Vifor Pharma
Research/Grant Support: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH |
| Charles Pollack, MD | Consultant/Advisor: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals; eXIthera Pharmaceuticals; Idorsia Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.; Milestone Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; VERO Biotech |
| Gabriel Steg, MD | Consultant/Advisor: Amarin Pharmaceuticals; Amgen Inc.; AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals; Bayer AG; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Idorsia Pharmaceuticals, Ltd.; Merck & Co., Inc.; Novartis; Novo Nordisk A/G; PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Pfizer Inc.; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Sanofi; Servier Pharmaceuticals LLC
Research/Grant Support: Amarin Pharmaceuticals; AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals; Bayer AG; Sanofi; Servier Pharmaceuticals LLC |
Timothy Hayes, MD, PhD; Kim Cheramie, MSN, RN-BC; Nicole McMenamin; Chelsey Benedek and Emma Boring hereby state that they or their spouse/life partner do not have any relevant financial relationships to products or devices with any commercial interests related to the content of this activity of any amount during the past 12 months.
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