Impact of Anemia on the Risk of Bleeding Following Percutaneous Coronary Interventions in Patients ≥75 Years of Age

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Geriatrics
• Hematology

Background:

• Bleeding risk stratification remains a challenge in elderly patients.
• Anemia may indicate occult blood loss, potentially worsening after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Purpose of the Study:

• To prospectively assess the impact of anemia on major bleeding risk in older adults (≥75 years) undergoing PCI.
• To evaluate anemia's predictive value for non-access site-related major bleeding within one year post-PCI.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 448 patients aged 75+ undergoing PCI without oral anticoagulation.
• Anemia defined by WHO criteria; 1-year incidence of major bleeding assessed.
• Comparison of anemia's predictive performance against established scores (PRECISE-DAPT, CRUSADE).

Main Results:

• Anemia prevalence was 39% in the study population.
• Anemic patients had a significantly higher bleeding incidence (13.1%) compared to non-anemic patients (5.2%).
• Hazard ratio for bleeding in anemic patients was 2.75 (p=0.004); hemoglobin outperformed risk scores.

Conclusions:

• Anemia is a potent independent predictor of major bleeding after PCI in older adults.
• Hemoglobin levels may offer a simpler and effective tool for bleeding risk assessment in this population.
• Findings suggest anemia's utility in refining therapeutic strategies to minimize bleeding complications.