Predictors of Antiplatelet Therapy Discontinuation in Patients with Drug-Eluting Stents

Only a quarter of discontinuations in this study were for severe bleeding or major medical procedures.

Current guidelines recommend that patients receiving a drug-eluting stent (DES) remain on dual antiplatelet therapy for at least 1 year. To determine how often such therapy is discontinued early and why, researchers prospectively followed patients who received at least one DES at one of 29 participating hospitals in Spain between January and April 2008. Patients were contacted by phone at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months to determine whether any antiplatelet drugs had been discontinued. Reasons for discontinuation were determined during these interviews and through clinical record review.

Of 1622 participants, 234 (14.4%) interrupted at least one antiplatelet drug. Fifty patients did so within the first 3 months, and these individuals were significant…

Reviewing Author

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Joel M. Gore, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNIH–National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute