Proton pump inhibitor co-prescription with dual antiplatelet therapy among patients with acute coronary syndrome in Qatar

Prevalence and Safety of Prescribing PPIs with Clopidogrel in Palestine

BACKGROUND

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are commonly prescribed medications that are thought to increase the risk of cardiovascular events because they reduce the effectiveness of clopidogrel via shared hepatic pathways.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the prevalence of concomitant prescribing of clopidogrel/PPI among patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome and the adverse cardiovascular event associated with this interaction.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted by retrieving patient data from the Nat Health Insurance claims processor database in Palestine. Adults diagnosed with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) from 2019 through 2021 who were prescribed clopidogrel or clopidogrel in combination with a PPI were included in the study. Endpoints were adverse cardiac events, including readmission for revascularization during the first year of treatment.

RESULTS

The study included 443 patients; the prevalence of prescribing concomitant clopidogrel with a PPI was 74.7%, whereas 49.2% were prescribed interacting PPI (omeprazole, esomeprazole, and lansoprazole). 59 (13.3%) of participants experienced a cardiovascular event within 1 year of starting therapy, including 27 (12.4%) patients who had a cardiovascular event while taking an interacting PPI. No significant association was found between PPI administration and increased CV event risk in patients receiving concomitant clopidogrel and PPIs therapy (p = 0.579).

CONCLUSION

In this study, we observed a high prevalence of prescribing a PPI in combination with clopidogrel, regardless of the FDA recommendations. No significant increase in cardiovascular events was observed in patients receiving concomitant clopidogrel and PPI therapy.

Trends in concomitant clopidogrel and proton pump inhibitor treatment among ACS inpatients, 2000-2016

PURPOSE

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued three safety announcements between January 2009 and October 2010 warning against concomitant use of clopidogrel and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) due to a potential drug-drug interaction that may attenuate clopidogrel's antiplatelet activity. This primary objective of this study was to examine trends in concomitant clopidogrel/PPI use among acute coronary syndrome (ACS) inpatients in the US between 2000 and 2016, in relation to the FDA safety communications.

METHODS

Adult inpatients with a primary diagnosis of ACS were identified from the Cerner Health Facts® database. The standardized (age, sex, race, and census region) prevalence of clopidogrel use with PPIs was calculated yearly and quarterly. Findings were stratified by PPIs' potential to inhibit clopidogrel's activity and by age.

RESULTS

A total of 204,533 inpatients were identified. In 2008, the prevalence of concomitant clopidogrel and PPI treatment was 34.9%, decreasing to 24.4 and 16.4% in 2009 and 2010, respectively, with the decline being similar across age groups. Treatment with inhibiting PPIs (omeprazole and esomeprazole) and clopidogrel has continued to decrease since 2010, with a prevalence of 0.8% in 2016. A similar reduction was not observed with clopidogrel and non-inhibiting PPIs (pantoprazole, lansoprazole, rabeprazole, and dexlansoprazole). During the FDA warning period, the combined treatment with clopidogrel and H₂ receptor antagonists, an alternative to PPIs suggested by the FDA, temporarily increased from 7.8% in 2008 to 12.8 and 14.5% in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that clinical practice recommendations made by the FDA were followed. Further research is needed to determine how changes in drug labels and the availability of new drugs may have influenced the observed trends.