TY - JOUR
T1 - Use of D-dimer testing to determine duration of anticoagulation, risk of cardiovascular events and occult cancer after a first episode of idiopathic venous thromboembolism
T2 - The extended follow-up of the PROLONG study
AU - Cosmi, Benilde
AU - Legnani, Cristina
AU - Tosetto, Alberto
AU - Pengo, Vittorio
AU - Ghirarduzzi, Angelo
AU - Alatri, Adriano
AU - Prisco, Domenico
AU - Poli, Daniela
AU - Tripodi, Armando
AU - Palareti, Gualtiero
PY - 2009
Y1 - 2009
N2 - Background: The PROLONG study showed that D-dimer (D-d) testing could help tailor the duration of anticoagulation after idiopathic venous thromboembolism (VTE). In this report the initial 18 month study follow-up was extended for 1 year. Materials and Methods: D-d was measured 1 month after anticoagulation withdrawal for a first episode of idiopathic VTE. Patients with a normal D-d did not resume anticoagulation, while patients with an abnormal D-d were randomized to either resume or not resume treatment. The primary outcome was the composite of recurrent VTE and major bleeding. Secondary end-points were cardiovascular events, newly diagnosed cancers and deaths. Results: D-d was abnormal in 222/608 (36.5%) patients. Average follow-up was 2.55 years. Twenty-eight events occurred in the 121 patients who stopped anticoagulation (23.1%, 9.6% person-years) and five in the 101 patients who resumed anticoagulation (5.0%, 2.0% person-years, adjusted hazard ratio-HR = 3.76; P = 0.008). Recurrence rate was higher in patients with abnormal D-d who stopped anticoagulation than in patients with normal D-d (51 events in 386 patients -13.2%; 5% person-years; adjusted HR 1.70; P = 0.045). The adjusted HR ratio associated with normal D-d versus abnormal D-d in patients who resumed anticoagulation was 2.7 (P = 0.042). An abnormal D-d was associated with a non significant higher risk of cardiovascular events and newly diagnosed cancers vs normal D-d. Conclusions: Patients with an abnormal D-d at 1 month after withdrawal of VKA have a significant risk of recurrence over a 2.55 year follow-up and they benefit from resuming anticoagulation.
AB - Background: The PROLONG study showed that D-dimer (D-d) testing could help tailor the duration of anticoagulation after idiopathic venous thromboembolism (VTE). In this report the initial 18 month study follow-up was extended for 1 year. Materials and Methods: D-d was measured 1 month after anticoagulation withdrawal for a first episode of idiopathic VTE. Patients with a normal D-d did not resume anticoagulation, while patients with an abnormal D-d were randomized to either resume or not resume treatment. The primary outcome was the composite of recurrent VTE and major bleeding. Secondary end-points were cardiovascular events, newly diagnosed cancers and deaths. Results: D-d was abnormal in 222/608 (36.5%) patients. Average follow-up was 2.55 years. Twenty-eight events occurred in the 121 patients who stopped anticoagulation (23.1%, 9.6% person-years) and five in the 101 patients who resumed anticoagulation (5.0%, 2.0% person-years, adjusted hazard ratio-HR = 3.76; P = 0.008). Recurrence rate was higher in patients with abnormal D-d who stopped anticoagulation than in patients with normal D-d (51 events in 386 patients -13.2%; 5% person-years; adjusted HR 1.70; P = 0.045). The adjusted HR ratio associated with normal D-d versus abnormal D-d in patients who resumed anticoagulation was 2.7 (P = 0.042). An abnormal D-d was associated with a non significant higher risk of cardiovascular events and newly diagnosed cancers vs normal D-d. Conclusions: Patients with an abnormal D-d at 1 month after withdrawal of VKA have a significant risk of recurrence over a 2.55 year follow-up and they benefit from resuming anticoagulation.
KW - Cancer
KW - Cardiovascular disease
KW - D-dimer
KW - Recurrence
KW - Venous thromboembolism
KW - Vitamin K antagonists
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U2 - 10.1007/s11239-009-0315-5
DO - 10.1007/s11239-009-0315-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 19288181
AN - SCOPUS:70350534508
VL - 28
SP - 381
EP - 388
JO - Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis
JF - Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis
SN - 0929-5305
IS - 4
ER -