Here are five notes on the study:
- Researchers from SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital and South Oklahoma Heart Research, both based in Oklahoma City, analyzed data of 2,476 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery between 2012 and 2015 for the study.
Of those patients, 1,005 patients received aspirin monotherapy and 1,458 patients received dual antiplatelet therapy after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
- Patients who received aspirin monotherapy had a 3.1% incidence rate of sudden cardiac death compared to patients who received dual-antiplatelet therapy, who had a 0.8%. incidence rate.
- Compared to patients who received dual-antiplatelet therapy, patients who received aspirin monotherapy had higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, but lower incidence of major bleeding.
- Patients with a body mass index over 35 and ejection fraction over 40% were more likely to experience sudden cardiac death after coronary artery bypass graft surgery as well.
- Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is the most lucrative cardiology procedure for U.S. hospitals.
Read the full study here.