Aspirin, clopidogrel, and warfarin use and outcomes in a cohort of 580 patients discharged after hospitalization for decompensated heart failure

Heart Vessels. 2012 Nov;27(6):568-75. doi: 10.1007/s00380-011-0185-6. Epub 2011 Sep 10.

Abstract

The benefits of taking of aspirin, clopidogrel, and warfarin in relation to cardiovascular mortality and re-hospitalization in chronic heart failure (HF) patients have been called into question. We examined the outcomes (cardiac mortality and/or HF re-hospitalization) in patients discharged from our hospital between January 2003 and July 2009 after hospitalization for chronic decompensated HF. Of 580 HF patients (mean age, 63 ± 13 years; mean ejection fraction, 26 ± 9%, 63% with coronary disease and 37% without coronary disease), 207 patients (36%) died due to cardiovascular reasons, and 313 (54%) required HF re-hospitalization for decompensated HF during a 39 ± 14 month follow-up period. 101 (17%) patients were taking clopidogrel during enrollment in the study. When comparing patients who were on clopidogrel treatment with those who were not, clopidogrel was found to have a beneficial effect on cardiac mortality (27 vs. 38%, P = 0.04). In conclusion, in this observational prospective study, patients who used clopidogrel showed decreased cardiac mortality [HR, 0.566 (95% CI 0.332-0.964), P = 0.036] compared to patients who did not take clopidogrel. Clopidogrel had a beneficial effect on the survival of chronic HF patients in the long term.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Anticoagulants / therapeutic use*
  • Aspirin / therapeutic use*
  • Chi-Square Distribution
  • Chronic Disease
  • Clopidogrel
  • Drug Interactions
  • Drug Utilization
  • Female
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Heart Failure / diagnosis
  • Heart Failure / drug therapy*
  • Heart Failure / mortality
  • Heart Failure / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Discharge* / statistics & numerical data
  • Patient Readmission
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians'* / statistics & numerical data
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Stroke Volume
  • Ticlopidine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Ticlopidine / therapeutic use
  • Time Factors
  • Turkey / epidemiology
  • Ventricular Function, Left
  • Warfarin / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Anticoagulants
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
  • Warfarin
  • Clopidogrel
  • Ticlopidine
  • Aspirin