Impact of Bleeding on Quality of Life in Patients on DAPT: Insights From TRANSLATE-ACS.

BACKGROUND: Prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is recommended after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) to reduce ischemic events but is associated with increased rates of major and minor bleeding.

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine the incidence of post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) bleeding that occurs on contemporary DAPT and its impact on quality of life (QOL).

METHODS: We studied 9,290 AMI patients treated with PCI and discharged alive between April 2010 and September 2012. Post-discharge bleeding was categorized according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) definition. The primary outcome was the 6-month Euro QOL-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) index score (a measure of health utility); a secondary outcome was the EQ-5D visual analog scale (VAS) at 6 months.

RESULTS: Of the 9,290 patients with AMI, bleeding events occurred as follows: any BARC bleeding: 24.2%; BARC 1: 9.1%; BARC 2: 13.8%; BARC 3: 1.1%; BARC 4: 0.03%; and BARC 5: 0%. Those who experienced any BARC bleeding had lower scores across all 5 EQ-5D domains (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain, and anxiety), as well as lower EQ-5D VAS and EQ-5D index scores. After clinical risk adjustment, any BARC bleeding was independently associated with 6-month EQ-5D index score (p < 0.0001) and lower QOL (p < 0.001). Both the EQ-5D index and the VAS score declined in a stepwise fashion with increasing BARC severity.

CONCLUSIONS: Among patients undergoing PCI for AMI, bleeding during follow-up was associated with worse 6-month utility and QOL. Although even minor bleeding was associated with impaired health status and QOL, the degree of impairment increased in a stepwise fashion with bleeding severity.