Comparison of Various Regimens of Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients With Valvular Heart Disease and Coronary Artery Disease After Surgical and Interventional Interventions

Aim. To evaluate the postoperative incidence of bleeding, incidence of thromboembolic complications, and all-cause mortality in patients with valvular heart disease and ischemic heart disease (IHD) associated with various regimens of the antithrombotic treatment during one year after surgery.

Material and methods. This study included 271 patients with valvular heart disease and IHD after heart valve replacement and myocardial revascularization from 2009 through 2018. However, during the follow-up period (12 months), contact with 12 patients was lost, and therefore these patients were excluded from the study. Further analysis included 259 patients. Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in combination with heart valve intervention was performed in 217 (83.8 %) patients, and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) were performed in 42 (16.2 %) patients. There were 197 (72.7 %) male participants; median age was 64.0 [58.0; 67.5] years. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 113 patients who received postoperative dual antithrombotic therapy (DAT) with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)/clopidogrel+vitamin K antagonist (VKA). Group 2 included 146 patients receiving postoperative triple antithrombotic therapy (TAT) with ASA+clopidogrel+VKA. Follow-up duration was 12 months after surgery. Due to significant intergroup differences in major clinical anamnestic data, the data were adjusted using pseudo-randomization (Propensity Score Matching, PSM). In result, 109 patients were selected for each group.

Results. The incidence of adverse hemorrhagic outcomes was significantly higher in the group treated with TAT than with DAT. Minor bleedings were observed in 19 (17.4 %) vs. 8 (7.3 %) cases; moderate, clinically significant bleedings in 16 (14.7 %) vs. 6 (5.5 %) cases; and the total number of bleedings was 35 (32.1 %) vs. 14 (12.8 %; p=0.02, p=0.02, and р=0.001, respectively). Comparing the incidence of major bleedings did not show and significant intergroup differences (p=1.000). The incidence rate of any bleeding during the follow-up period was 32.1 % in patients treated with TAT (n=109) and 12.8 % in patients treated with DAT (n=109; p=0.005). The incidence of no bleeding during one year after surgery was 87 % in the DAT treatment group and 67 % in the TAT treatment group (p=0.005). The incidence of secondary endpoints, including ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, prosthetic valve thrombosis, and death, was statistically non-significant.

Conclusion. Administration of DAT vs. TAT after heart valve replacement and myocardial revascularization significantly decreases the incidence of any bleedings in the absence of significant differences in the incidence of thromboembolic events and mortality.

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