Study reveals deadly impact of atherothrombosis
Almost 40% of people in the community with extensive atherothrombotic disease will suffer a cardiovascular event within a year, according to research published the February 20 issue of the Medical Journal of Australia.
Professor Christopher Reid from Monash University and coauthors sought to pinpoint the most dangerous forms of atherothrombosis (a combination of plaque and blood clots on artery walls that leads to blockage of blood flow).
They found that among stable patients in the community presenting to GPs, the risk of suffering a cardiovascular event - either being hospitalised, suffering a stroke or a myocardial infarction or dying - increased dramatically with the severity of atherothrombotic disease and the number of sites affected.
Patients who had atherothrombotic disease in the coronary arteries, as well as the cerebrovascular system and the peripheral arteries had a 39% chance of a cardiovascular event.
Overall, the cardiovascular death rate among participants at one year was 1.4% and the chance of a cardiovascular event among patients with atherothrombosis in any one of the three sites was 11%.
Patients with atherothrombosis in their peripheral arteries had the highest chance – 21% – of suffering a cardiovascular event compared with patients with atherothrombosis in other sites, they found.
“Where disease was evident in all three locations, and for patients with PAD alone, the 1-year risk of cardiovascular events was substantially increased”, wrote the authors.
They also identified that poor adherence to statin therapy for secondary prevention is a major treatment gap that needs to be closed.
The Medical Journal of Australia is a publication of the Australian Medical Association.
The statements or opinions that are expressed in the MJA reflect the views of the authors and do not represent the official policy of the AMA or the MJA unless that is so stated.
CONTACTS: Prof Christopher Reid 0419 319 496 / 03 9531 0358