Blood clot formation in the grafted vein is a common complication after coronary artery bypass surgery . Patients are usually prescribed aspirin after the surgery. Few small-scale studies have found conflicting results for the combined effect of aspirin and a prescription strength antiplatelet agent, ticagrelor, on clotting. This approach is known as dual antiplatelet therapy. US investigators have compiled data from such four small-scale studies to obtain concrete findings.
They examined data from a total of 1,668 grafts. Ticagrelor, along with aspirin, was associated with a significantly lower incidence of vein graft failure (11.2%) per graft than aspirin monotherapy (20%). However, ticagrelor, together with aspirin, was also associated with a significantly higher incidence of BARC type 2, 3, or 5 bleeding events (22.1%) than aspirin alone (8.7%). This analysis revealed that dual…
