Baseline platelet count and clinical outcome in acute coronary syndrome

Yihua Wu1, Han Wu, Christian Mueller

  • 1Department of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.

Insights

Higher platelet counts (PLT) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients are linked to increased mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE). This finding highlights PLT as a significant prognostic indicator in ACS.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hematology
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • The independent association between platelet count (PLT) and clinical outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients remains unclear.
  • Understanding this relationship is crucial for risk stratification and management of ACS.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the independent association between baseline platelet count (PLT) and clinical outcomes, including mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE), in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Main Methods:

  • A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane library, etc.) to identify relevant studies.
  • Eight studies comprising 39,324 patients were included, focusing on PLT quantification and its association with MACE and mortality.
  • Data on study design, participant characteristics, PLT levels, clinical outcomes, and risk estimates were independently abstracted and pooled.

Main Results:

  • At 1-month follow-up, patients with high PLT (> 350 × 10(9)/L) showed significantly increased pooled relative risks (RR) for MACE (1.63, P<0.001) compared to those with low PLT (< 150 × 10(9)/L).
  • Long-term follow-up (≥ 1 year) revealed elevated pooled RRs for both mortality (1.48, P=0.02) and MACE (1.28, P=0.02) in patients with high PLT.
  • When analyzed as a continuous variable, PLT demonstrated a significant pooled RR of 1.024 (P=0.03) for longitudinal mortality.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated baseline platelet count (PLT) is independently associated with an increased risk of mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
  • PLT serves as a significant prognostic biomarker in ACS, warranting consideration in clinical risk assessment.
Abstract

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