Beiruting News

The Lebanese Society of Cardiology (LSC) has launched a mobile phone application that allows medical doctors to access a clear algorithm on Oral Antiplatelet (OAP) therapy and determine individualized regimens for patients at risk of Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), an umbrella term encompassing a number of conditions including unstable angina and myocardial infarction. 


Made possible by an unrestricted grant from AstraZeneca, the "OAP Select" App is available on both App Store and Google Play. It's designed to tackle the issue that "until now there had been no unified algorithm for Oral Antiplatelets regimens in ACS management across all hospitals in Lebanon to help physicians make appropriate choices based on the latest science from first medical contact until years post discharge," explained Prof. Antoine Sarkis, Lebanese Society of Cardiology President and conceptor of the project.


The launch took place during a national scientific symposium chaired by Prof. Georges Ghanem, Head of Cardiology and Chief Medical Officer at the Lebanese American University Medical Center-Rizk Hospital, which included interventions by LSC President-Elect Dr. Malek Mohamad, and Prof. Rabih Azar, Head of Cardiology at Hotel Dieu de France Hospital. The event outlined guidelines for early and long-term ACS management, and included a comprehensive presentation from Prof. Sarkis on the algorithm and the use of the OAP Select App.


ACS management guidelines have evolved tremendously over the last decade in terms of choices of OAPs in conjunction with Aspirin to reduce the risk of recurrent CV events.


About Oral Antiplatelet Therapy Oral Antiplatelet therapy plays an important role in the management of ACS, as Antiplatelet drugs help prevent platelet aggregation in arterial thrombosis, most prominently in myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke.


Antiplatelet drugs protect against myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiovascular death and other serious vascular events in patients with a history of previous vascular events or known risk factors for cardiovascular disease. They are initiated promptly post a cardiovascular event and given for a long period of time that can extend to several years as per the judgement of the treating physician. 

About Acute Coronary SyndromeThe term Acute Coronary Syndrome refers to a group of conditions composed of unstable angina (UA), non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The most common cause of ACS is the formation of a thrombus in a coronary artery, which results in inadequate supply of blood to the heart tissue, a condition called ischemia.

Risk factors associated with ACS include major Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) risk factors such as Elevated LDL-Cholesterol, Age, Family history of premature CHD, Cigarette smoking, Hypertension, Low HDL-Cholesterol, as well as CHD risk equivalents such as Diabetes and Peripheral Artery Disease.