This condition causes considerable suffering and increases the risk of death. Bleeding complications also limit the use of antithrombotics, which in turn can worsen the cardiovascular prognosis.

A sharper focus on bleeding complications over the past two decades has led to several strategies for reducing the risk of upper gastrointestinal tract bleeding. Despite this, there are few studies on this complication that include a diverse population of heart attack patients.

For the current study, researchers sourced data on almost 150,000 patients with acute myocardial infarction between 2007 and 2016 from the national SWEDEHEART registry.

Of these patients, approximately 1.5 percent suffered GI bleeding within a year of their heart attack. They also had an increased risk of death and stroke.

Researchers confirmed several known factors that increase the risk of upper GI tract bleeding, including low levels of haemoglobin (a protein that helps to transport oxygen in the blood), previous upper GI tract bleeding, age and intensive antithrombotic treatment.

Using an algorithm, they also identified new risk factors, including smoking, blood pressure, blood glucose and previous treatment for stomach disorders, such as ulcers and acid reflux.

This method is effective in using valuable data from the medical quality registry by taking account of complex relationships between risk factors and outcomes in order to further optimize the current recommendations for patient care.

Researchers will start a major clinical study to investigate the significance of diagnosis and treatment of a common infection in the upper GI tract.

Source: Medindia