Challenges in Managing Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by thrombotic events, obstetric complications, or both, in combination with persistently positive autoantibodies. For patients with thrombotic APS, long-term anticoagulation is recommended, usually with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). But treatment decisions are still challenging, given the disease’s clinical heterogeneity and the lack of definitive trial data. Here, investigators describe anticoagulation practices and recurrence rates from a retrospective, U.K.-based study involving 500 patients with APS diagnosed after a first thrombotic event.