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Updated: Sep 24, 2025

Interventional Diagnostic Procedure: A Practical Guide for the Assessment of Coronary Vascular Function
Published on: March 15, 2022
Practice of antiplatelet therapy in acute myocardial infarction
András Jánosi1, Tamás Ferenci2,3, Gábor Bársony4
11 Gottsegen György Országos Kardiovaszkuláris Intézet Budapest, Haller u. 29., 1096 Magyarország.
Insights
Platelet aggregation inhibitor (TAG) treatment is crucial after myocardial infarction. Adherence to therapies like clopidogrel, prasugrel, and ticagrelor remains high, with over three-quarters of patients continuing treatment one year post-myocardial infarction.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
Background:
- Platelet aggregation inhibitor (TAG) therapy is vital for preventing recurrent ischemic events in myocardial infarction survivors.
- Understanding the real-world utilization and adherence patterns of these critical medications is essential for optimizing patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the proportion of myocardial infarction patients receiving specific TAGs (aspirin, clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor) during hospitalization.
- To assess the adherence rates of patients to recommended TAG therapy during follow-up after hospital discharge.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medical records for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).
- Utilized the National Institute of Health Insurance Fund database to monitor drug switching events.
- Employed survival analysis, specifically the Kaplan-Meier method, to evaluate treatment adherence over time.
Main Results:
- Significant variations in the use of prasugrel and ticagrelor were observed across different treatment centers.
- At one year post-switch, adherence rates were 76.1% for clopidogrel, 78.3% for prasugrel, and 80.9% for ticagrelor.
- High prevalence of comorbidities such as hypertension (80%), diabetes mellitus (35%), and impaired renal function (30%) noted in the study population.
Conclusions:
- The choice and utilization of specific antiplatelet agents following myocardial infarction differ considerably among healthcare facilities.
- Sustained adherence to recommended antiplatelet therapy is achieved by a substantial majority of patients one year after initiating treatment, indicating good long-term therapeutic compliance.
Abstract:
Introduction: In patients who have survived myocardial infarction, platelet aggregation inhibitor (TAG) treatment plays an important role in preventing recurrent ischemic events. Objective: to investigate the proportion of patients who received aspirin, clopidogrel, prasugrel and ticagrelor during the hospitalization and the proportion of patients who continued taking the recommended therapy during follow-up. All patients treated for myocardial infarction who had a medical ID number were included in the study. Results: 16 273 patients had ST-elevation (STEMI) and 20 305 patients had non-ST-elevation (NSTEMI) infarction. 80% of patients were hypertensive. Diabetes mellitus (35%) and impaired renal function (30%) were demonstrated in one in three patients. The TAG treatment recommendation was analysed in 36 578 patients who left the hospital. Clopidogrel 12.7%, prasugrel 4.3%, ticagrelor, 93.9%, 77.7%, 8.3% and 3.2% were found in the NSTEMI group. For medicines available under special conditions (prasugrel, ticagrelor), there were significant differences between centres: the proposal varied between 1.2–4.3% for prasugrel and 0.3–10.8% for ticagrelor. Drug switching events were monitored using the National Institute of Health Insurance Fund database. Pharmacovigilance data were available for 29 405 patients. We considered the longest period in the adherence study, and the grace period was 2 months. Adherence durations were processed using a standard survival analysis toolkit (Kaplan–Meier method). At 1 year after the first switch, 76.1%, 78.3%, and 80.9% of the patients in clopidogrel, prasugrel and ticagrelor were adherents to the recommended treatment. Conclusion: The frequency of use of certain antiplatelet drugs varies significantly across different intervention centres. More than three-quarters of the patients are adherent to treatment 1 year after starting treatment.
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