Management of patients with congenital bleeding disorders and cardiac indications for antithrombotic therapy

Cardiologists have only had rare exposure to haemophilia patients and patients with other congenital bleeding disorders during the last decades, as these patients had a reduced life expectancy and were partly protected against thrombosis due to the bleeding disorder. With the availability of effective and safe replacement therapies of clotting factors, the average life expectancy in these populations of patients has significantly increased, and thrombotic complications may occur.

The European Society of Cardiology Working Group on Thrombosis has taken the initiative to broaden the spectrum of these haematological conditions to include patients with a larger variety of congenital bleeding disorders with concomitant cardiac conditions as compared to a recent position paper by the European Haematology Association in collaboration with other societies (ISTH, European Association for Haemophilia and Allied Disorders, and ESO). Management of antithrombotic therapy or thromboprophylaxis in these individuals is challenging due to the wide phenotypes encompassed by congenital bleeding disorders. These include abnormalities in both primary haemostasis (involving von Willebrand factor and platelet function) and secondary haemostasis (related to coagulation factors and fibrinogen). Bleeding disorders range from mild to very severe. Based on existing literature, we provide clinical consensus statements on optimizing antithrombotic treatment strategies for patients with congenital bleeding disorders and highlight the current gaps in knowledge in these complex clinical settings.

Of importance, an individualized approach to antithrombotic therapy is warranted to properly balance the two risks of thrombosis and bleeding. Adoption of the safest interventional techniques, reduction of the intensity and/or duration of antithrombotic therapies, and attention to the safe levels of clotting factors is generally advised.