Adherence of ticagrelOr in real world patients with aCute coronary syndrome: The AD-HOC study.

Background: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin and a P2Y12 receptor antagonist is the cornerstone of therapy in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Adherence to medical therapy is an important issue, as premature DAPT discontinuation increases the risk of new ischemic events. The aim of the present observational prospective multicenter study was to evaluate in the real-world incidence and discontinuation patterns of ticagrelor during the first 12 months after ACS. Methods: We analyzed 431 ACS patients, discharged with ticagrelor, by 7 Italian centers. The primary end-point was the incidence of cessation of ticagrelor up to 12 months from the index event. Results: Definitive ticagrelor cessations occurred in 52 patients (12.1%), of which 35 were discontinuations (clinically driven) and 17 disruptions (due to acute events). Temporary cessation occurred in 14 cases (3.3%). Age ≥ 80 years and anticoagulant therapy were independent predictors of premature discontinuation. Bleeding occurred in 74 patients, of which 25 suffered a BARC ≥ 2 bleeding event. Bleeding were more frequent in female sex (27.0% vs 17.2%, p-value 0.049) and in patients with a history of bleeding (8.1% vs 2.9%, p-value 0.035). Conclusions: Our study found that the adherence to DAPT with ticagrelor after an ACS is still an important issue, premature discontinuation occurred mainly in fragile patients, like elderly, who suffered a previous bleeding or underwent previous percutaneous coronary intervention.

Long-term outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome and nonobstructive coronary artery disease.

Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) have a substantial risk of subsequent coronary events within 1 year. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence, long-term outcomes, and adherence to oral antiplatelet therapy in patients with ACS and nonobstructive CAD compared with patients with ACS and obstructive CAD who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention. Nonobstructive CAD was defined as an angiographic finding of <50% diameter stenosis in any major epicardial artery. These patients were further stratified into 2 groups: those with normal coronary arteries (0% angiographic stenosis) and those with mild CAD (0% to 50% angiographic stenosis). Major adverse cardiac events, defined as death, myocardial infarction, ACS leading to hospitalization, and nonfatal stroke, were recorded and compared with a historical control group of patients with ACS and obstructive CAD who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention. Of 2,438 consecutive patients with ACS undergoing coronary angiography, 318 (13%) had nonobstructive CAD. Of the 318 with nonobstructive CAD, 160 had normal coronary arteries and 158 had mild CAD. Patients with obstructive CAD had experienced greater rates of major adverse cardiac events at 26 ± 16 months (16.6% vs 9.1%, p = 0.001), driven by a greater rate of myocardial infarction compared with those without (5.3% vs 0%, p <0.001). However, the rate of death, ACS leading to hospitalization, and stroke was similar. After adjusting for baseline characteristics, no difference was found in the risk of major adverse cardiac events across the groups. Only 50% of patients with nonobstructive CAD were prescribed dual antiplatelet therapy. In conclusion, patients with ACS and nonobstructive CAD remain at high risk of long-term recurrent ischemic events.

Long-term outcomes in patients undergoing coronary stenting on dual oral antiplatelet treatment requiring oral anticoagulant therapy.

In patients undergoing coronary stenting, long-term dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel reduces atherothrombotic events but also increases the risk of bleeding. The potential for developing bleeding complications is further enhanced in patients also requiring oral anticoagulant treatment ("triple therapy"). The aim of the study is to assess long-term outcomes associated with the use of triple-therapy in patients undergoing coronary stenting and evaluate how these may be affected by targeting international normalized ratio (INR) values to the lower therapeutic range. We prospectively studied 102 consecutive patients undergoing coronary stenting treated with dual antiplatelet therapy also requiring oral anticoagulation. INR was targeted to the lower therapeutic range (2.0 to 2.5). Patients requiring oral anticoagulant therapy because of mechanical valve prosthesis were excluded. Patients were followed for 18 months, and bleeding, defined according to Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction criteria, and major adverse cardiac events were recorded. Outcomes were compared with a control group (n = 102) treated only with dual antiplatelet therapy. The mean duration of triple therapy was 157 +/- 134 days. At 18 months, a nonsignificant increase in bleeding was observed in the triple versus dual therapy group (10.8% vs 4.9%, p = 0.1). INR values were higher in patients with bleeding (2.8 +/- 1.1 vs 2.3 +/- 0.2, p = 0.0001). In patients who had INR values within the recommended target (79.4%), the risk of bleeding was significantly lower compared with patients who did not (4.9 vs 33%, p = 0.00019) and with that observed in the control group (4.9%). An INR >2.6 was the only independent predictor of bleeding. There were no significant differences in major adverse cardiac events between groups (5.8% vs 4.9%, p = 0.7). In conclusion, in patients undergoing coronary stenting on triple therapy, targeting lower therapeutic INR values reduces the risk of bleeding complications.