[Antiplatelet treatment after acute and chronic ischemic heart and brain events is insufficient according to recommendations].
BACKGROUND
Antiplatelet therapy is important in secondary prophylaxis in patients with ischemic heart, brain and vascular diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the number of patients in Vejle County admitted to hospital in the second half of 2003 with acute and chronic heart, brain and vascular diseases to evaluate the kind of secondary prophylaxis and its duration. Moreover, the study registered the number of patients with diabetes mellitus treated with antiplatelet therapy.


METHODS
The study included 2345 patients with ischemic heart, brain and vascular diseases, and patients with diabetes mellitus. Patients' data and information about medication were obtained from the hospital electronic database and public health insurance of Vejle County. Antiplatelet therapy was registered up to one year after onset of the disease.


RESULTS
1121 patients were admitted with cardiac diseases (including patients with angina pectoris), 624 patients had cerebral diseases, and 600 had diabetes mellitus. Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and a combination of ASA and clopidogrel were the most frequent forms of antiplatelet medication. Patients with diabetes and ischemic brain diseases made up 75% of those for whom medication was not registered.


CONCLUSIONS
The study shows that in nearly all disease groups no antiplatelet therapy was registered for a very large number of % patients (up to 75%). A considerable number % of patients (up to 56%) with ischemic heart disease did not receive sufficient antiplatelet treatment according to Danish recommendations.
Nielsen
Aneta Aleksandra
AA
Vejle Sygehus, Medicinsk og Klinisk Biokemisk Afdeling, Vejle. aneta.aleksandra.nielsen@vgs.regionsyddanmark.dk
Veien
Karsten Tange
KT
Jørgensen
Lone G M
LG
Buck
Thomas Croft
TC
Brandslund
Ivan
I
Christensen
Cramer
C
D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000517:prevention & control; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000517:prevention & control; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000517:prevention & control; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004176:Dipyridamole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013988:Ticlopidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D004176:Dipyridamole; D000077144:Clopidogrel; D013988:Ticlopidine; D001241:Aspirin