Secondary Prevention in Concurrent Coronary Artery, Cerebrovascular, and Chronic Kidney Disease: Focus on Pharmacological Therapy

Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) commonly have varying degrees of coexisting cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), and proper management is complicated partly because of a lack of unifying guidelines. The aim of this article is to review the current literature and propose the optimal treatment regimen in patients with all three disease states. Angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE‐I) should be universally administered. High‐dose statin therapy to reach a target low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) of 70–100 mg/dL is advocated, although patients with a history of cerebral bleeding must be carefully monitored for possible recurrence. Beta‐blockers are appropriate after a recent coronary event, and amlodipine or thiazide diuretics should be used after a recent stroke (within 6 months). Patients with a history of stroke (with or without coexisting CAD and CKD) should receive aspirin (75–150 mg/day) indefinitely. Clopidogrel or aspirin plus extended‐release dipyridamole (ER‐DP) may be prescribed in patients allergic or resistant to aspirin. If stroke is attributable to cardiogenic embolism, anticoagulation is indicated. In patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) (excluding ST‐elevated myocardial infarct) who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), aspirin plus clopidogrel is indicated for secondary prevention for up to 12 months. There are no data supporting the use of aspirin plus clopidogrel in patients with CKD who develop ACS. Aspirin plus clopidogrel is contraindicated for stroke prevention.