Assessment of Thrombotic Status in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome

Acute Coronary Syndrome

Coronary Artery Disease, Myocardial Ischemia, Arterial Occlusive Diseases, Coronary Thrombosis

Impaired thrombotic status is associated with adverse cardiovascular events. Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are at increased cardiovascular risk. The aim of the study is to determine the usefulness of thrombotic status assessment in a large cohort of ACS patients, managed with contemporary treatments, to identify patients at risk of thrombosis and those at risk of bleeding complications.

Patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are at increased risk of future cardiovascular events, despite optimal medical treatment and coronary intervention. Such events are usually caused by increased stickiness of the blood causing a blood clot (thrombus) to block arterial blood vessels in the heart. Much of the medication to prevent recurrent thrombotic events increases the risk of bleeding complications. Identification of patients at recurrent thrombotic risk could allow targeted treatment with potent antithrombotic medications, with less potent agents in others to reduce bleeding. The investigators will assess the stickiness of the blood (i.e. thrombotic status) in patients who are admitted to hospital with ACS; at baseline, at discharge from hospital and at 30 days post hospitalisation. Blood stickiness will be tested using a number of tests of thrombotic status including thrombin generation assays, Thromboelastography (TEG) and the near-patient, point-of-care Global Thrombosis Test (GTT). The results will be evaluated to assess the effect of disease process and clinical state on blood stickiness to gain further understanding of the condition and form the basis for future studies aimed at identifying patients who are at high risk of future cardiovascular events.

United Kingdom