To prevent atherothrombotic events, patients with peripheral arterial disease are typically prescribed antiplatelet therapy (APT). However, some of them receive anticoagulant therapy (ACT) due to comorbidities. Our aim was to determine possible differences in the effectiveness and safety of both treatments in patients after endovascular femoropopliteal revascularisation. We retrospectively analysed 1247 patients after successful femoropopliteal revascularisation performed in a single tertiary medical centre and classified them into the ACT or APT group, based on their prescribed treatment. The groups were characterised by descriptive statistics, and their characteristics were adjusted for confounders by propensity score matching. Effectiveness and safety outcomes were assessed within one year after revascularisation. The odds ratio for the composite outcome of all-cause death, PAD exacerbation, and major amputation due to vascular causes with ACT versus APT was 1.21 (95% CI 0.53-2.21; p = 0.484). The odds ratio for major bleeding as defined by the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis with ACT versus APT was 0.77 (95% CI 0.13-3.84; p = 0.251). We found no statistically significant difference in the effectiveness and safety of ACT, when compared to APT in patients with similar cardiovascular risk factors and other baseline characteristics. Further prospective research is warranted.
Keywords: anticoagulants; effectiveness; endovascular procedures; femoral artery; peripheral arterial disease; platelet aggregation inhibitors; propensity score; safety; treatment outcome.