Global patterns of use of antithrombotic and antiplatelet therapies in patients with acute coronary syndromes: insights from the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE).
BACKGROUND
Many agents are available to treat acute coronary syndromes (ACS), yet limited information is available about their use from a multinational perspective. The objective of this report was to describe patterns of use of antithrombotic and antiplatelet therapies in patients with the spectrum of ACS through the use of data from the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE).


METHODS
Data from 12,665 patients with ACS were analyzed. Baseline characteristics, clinical presentation, and medication use were compared. Regional differences in the administration of antiplatelet and antithrombotic therapies were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression was implemented to determine independent variables indicating the use of various hospital therapies.


RESULTS
Overall, unfractionated heparin was used in 57% of patients and low-molecular-weight heparin in 47% (P <.0001). More than 90% of patients received aspirin, but approximately 13% were not discharged on aspirin. Overall, 30% of patients received thienopyridines (with percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI] in 79%). Of those who did not receive aspirin, 31% received thienopyridines. Intravenous glycoprotein inhibitors were given to 17% of patients. Among those treated with PCI, only 47% received glycoprotein inhibitors, and 21% of those given glycoprotein inhibitors did not undergo PCI. Significant geographic variation was apparent in the use of unfractionated heparin, low-molecular-weight heparin, thienopyridines, and glycoprotein inhibitors.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite the availability of guidelines, striking geographic and practice variations are apparent in the use of antithrombotic and antiplatelet therapies. There remains significant room for improvement in the use of these therapies in patients with ACS, which should lead to improvement in care and outcomes.
Budaj
Andrzej
A
Postgraduate Medical School, Grochowski Hospital Warsaw, Poland. abudaj@kkcmkp.pl
Brieger
David
D
Steg
Ph Gabriel
PG
Goodman
Shaun G
SG
Dabbous
Omar H
OH
Fox
Keith A A
KA
Avezum
Alvaro
A
Cannon
Christopher P
CP
Mazurek
Tomasz
T
Flather
Marcus D
MD
Van De Werf
Frans
F
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003328:Coronary Thrombosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012042:Registries; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013577:Syndrome; D014336:Troponin / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D006495:Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D014336:Troponin; D006493:Heparin