title: Progressively Worsening Premature Coronary Artery Disease: Adding Anticoagulation Stabilizes-Reverses Clinical Symptomatic Disease Progression in Thrombophilic-Atherothrombotic Patients: A Pilot Study.
abstract: In 35 patients with 116 severe premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) events (median age: 48 years), 14 having worsening CVD despite maximal intervention, we evaluated thrombophilia and speculated that anticoagulation might arrest-reverse progressive thrombophilic-atherothrombotic CVD. Thrombophilia-hypofibrinolysis in the 35 patients was compared to 110 patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) without CVD and to 110 healthy normal controls. Efficacy-safety of anticoagulation was prospectively assessed in 14 of the 35 patients whose CVD worsened over 2 years despite maximal medical-surgical intervention. At entry on maximally tolerated lipid-lowering therapy, median low-density lipoprotein was 88 mg/dL. Measures of thrombophilia-hypofibrinolysis in the 35 cases differed from 110 VTE controls only for the lupus anticoagulant, present in 6 (21%) of 28 cases versus 4 (4%) of 91 VTE controls ( P = .01), and for high anticardiolipin antibodies (ACLAs) immunoglobulin G, 5 (14%) of 35 cases versus 4 of 108 VTE controls (4%), P = .04. The 14 patients who were anticoagulated differed from 110 VTE controls only for the lupus anticoagulant, 38% versus 4%, P = .001, and for high lipoprotein (a), 46% versus 17%, P = .028, respectively. The 14 patients with atherothrombosis having inexorably worsening CAD despite maximal medical-surgical therapy were anticoagulated for 6.5 years (median), with clinical CVD progression arrested in 12 (86%), and all 12 became asymptomatic. In the 35 patients with premature CVD, thrombophilia was pervasive, comparable to or more severe than in VTE controls without CVD. When CVD progressively worsens despite maximal intervention, thrombophilia and atherosclerosis (atherothrombosis) are commonly concurrent, and the downhill course of CVD may be arrested-stabilized by anticoagulation.
authors.affiliation: 1 Graduate Medical Education Program, Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.|2 Internal Medicine Residency Program, Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Matan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rothschild
authors.affiliation: 1 Graduate Medical Education Program, Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.|2 Internal Medicine Residency Program, Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Vybhav
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jetty
authors.affiliation: 1 Graduate Medical Education Program, Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.|2 Internal Medicine Residency Program, Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mahida
authors.affiliation: 1 Graduate Medical Education Program, Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1 Graduate Medical Education Program, Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.|2 Internal Medicine Residency Program, Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Marloe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.affiliation: 1 Graduate Medical Education Program, Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Naila
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.affiliation: 1 Graduate Medical Education Program, Jewish Hospital of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Glueck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019851:Thrombophilia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants
keywords: anticoagulation; atherosclerosis; atherothrombosis; cardiovascular disease; coronary artery disease; thrombophilia