NYC Gazette

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology have released updated guidelines for managing acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The guidelines, led by Dr. Sunil Rao from NYU Langone Heart, aim to enhance care quality and patient outcomes. Dr. Rao serves as the director of interventional cardiology at NYU Langone Heart and is a professor in the Department of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Published on February 27 in Circulation and the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, these guidelines integrate recent evidence to address ACS, which involves sudden reduced blood flow to the heart muscle. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Unstable angina and myocardial infarction are related conditions resulting from plaque erosion or rupture in coronary arteries.

“Patients with ACS face the highest risk for both acute and chronic cardiovascular complications, underscoring the importance of staying current with the latest evidence in this guideline,” stated Dr. Rao. He emphasized that proper management can improve outcomes during hospitalization and over time.

The guideline addresses both pharmacologic and procedural interventions for chest pain and heart attack management, highlighting post-ACS care's role in preventing complications.

“It’s been quite a while since the last document, and the field moves quickly,” said Dr. Rao. “There are multiple randomized trials now influencing clinical practice that clinicians are either already incorporating into their practice or are looking to an updated guidelines document to understand how to incorporate those things into their clinical practice.”

Dr. Rao will discuss these new guidelines at a Town Hall session during the American College of Cardiology 2025 Annual Scientific Session in Chicago on March 30.

The guideline received collaboration and endorsement from various professional societies including ACEP, NAEMSP, and SCAI.