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Efficacy of Ticlopidine in the Prevention of Thromboembolic Events in Patients with VVI Pacemakers
Author(s) -
FAZIO SERAFINO,
SANTOMAURO MAURIZIO,
CITTADINI ANTONIO,
FERRARO SERGIO,
LUCARIELLO ANTONIO,
MADDALENA GIOVANNI,
SACCA' LUIGI
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
pacing and clinical electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.686
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1540-8159
pISSN - 0147-8389
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-8159.1991.tb05086.x
Subject(s) - medicine , ticlopidine , incidence (geometry) , group b , anesthesia , surgery , cardiology , myocardial infarction , clopidogrel , physics , optics
This study was designed to evaluate whether long‐term treatment with ticlopidine reduces the incidence of thromboembolie episodes in patients with a VVI pacemaker. One hundred eJeven patients with a VVI pacemaker were randomly assigned to two groups: group A (52 patients) was treated with ticlopidine at the dose of 250 mg a day; and group B (59 patients) was not treated and served as a control group. The primary analysis of efficacy of ticlopidine was based on the occurrence of thromboemboJic episodes and of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular deaths. The mean follow‐up period was 66 months. In group A, there was a significant reduction in the incidence of thromboembolic episodes (P < 0.05) with a smaller incidence of total cardiovascular and cerebrovascular deaths (8 in group A and 18 in group B; P = 0.05) as compared with group B. Twelve percent of patients had moderate side effects with 1 dropout (epistaxis). Our data confirm the high incidence of thromboembolic events in patients with a VVI pacemaker and demonstrate the efficacy of ticlopidine in preventing them.