Coordinated series of studies to evaluate characteristics and mechanisms of acute coronary syndromes in high-risk patients randomly assigned to enoxaparin or unfractionated heparin: design and rationale of the SYNERGY Library.

Clinical trials and accompanying substudies in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) have over the last several years yielded a wealth of knowledge about the pathophysiology and management of this high-risk condition. The Superior Yield of the New strategy of Enoxaparin, Revascularization, and GlYcoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (SYNERGY) trial is a large-scale, randomized, controlled trial evaluating the effect of enoxaparin and unfractionated heparin on death and myocardial infarction in high-risk patients presenting with non-ST-segment elevation ACS. The SYNERGY Library has been designed as a coordinated series of investigations with simultaneous data acquisition on the same cohort of approximately 500 SYNERGY patients at 60 centers in North America.

Enoxaparin vs unfractionated heparin in high-risk patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes managed with an intended early invasive strategy: primary results of the SYNERGY randomized trial.

Context: Enoxaparin has demonstrated advantages over unfractionated heparin in low- to moderate-risk patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes (ACS) treated with a conservative strategy.

Objectives: To compare the outcomes of patients treated with enoxaparin vs unfractionated heparin and to define the role of enoxaparin in patients with non-ST-segment elevation ACS at high risk for ischemic cardiac complications managed with an early invasive approach.

Design, Setting, And Participants: The Superior Yield of the New Strategy of Enoxaparin, Revascularization and Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors (SYNERGY) trial was a prospective, randomized, open-label, multicenter, international trial conducted between August 2001 and December 2003.