Assessment of Coagulation and Hemostasis Biomarkers in a Subset of Patients With Chronic Cardiovascular Disease

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Hematology
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Single coagulation markers may not fully represent hemostasis and fibrinolysis in chronic cardiovascular diseases.
• Patients with cardiovascular conditions often present complex hemostatic profiles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of a comprehensive coagulation panel in patients with cardiovascular diseases.
• To differentiate hemostatic activation patterns in patients with heart assist devices versus cardiomyopathies.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of coagulation panels including prothrombin fragment 1.2 (PF1.2), thrombin: antithrombin complexes, fibrin monomers, and D-dimers.
• Patient cohort included individuals with heart assist devices, cardiomyopathies, atrial fibrillation, and intracardiac thrombosis.
• Statistical comparison of marker elevations between patient groups.

Main Results:

• PF1.2 was significantly more elevated in cardiomyopathy patients (61.1%) compared to those with cardiac assist devices (15.7%).
• D-dimer elevation was more frequent in cardiac assist device patients (98.8%) versus cardiomyopathy patients (83.3%).
• Elevated D-dimers without other marker increases in cardiac assist device patients likely reflect the device itself.

Conclusions:

• Comprehensive coagulation panels provide a more complete picture of hemostasis than single markers in cardiovascular disease.
• Cardiomyopathy is associated with increased thrombin generation (indicated by PF1.2), while cardiac assist devices may lead to elevated D-dimers independent of significant hemostatic activation.