Prolonged Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Is Associated with Nuisance Bleeding

Dual antiplatelet therapy (e.g., clopidogrel plus aspirin) is prescribed commonly to patients after myocardial infarction (MI) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but it is associated with elevated bleeding risk. In this multicenter cohort analysis, U.S. investigators assessed the effect of dual antiplatelet therapy–related nuisance bleeding (i.e., bleeding, bruising, and gum or nose bleeds that did not require hospitalization, transfusion, or change in medication) on quality of life (QOL) in 3560 post-MI patients, most of whom also underwent PCI.

During 12 months after MI, 1335 patients (37.5%) reported nuisance bleeding. After adjustment for baseline risks, ongoing dual antiplatelet therapy, compared with no dual antiplatelet the…