# Effects of Proton Pump Inhibitors on Cardiovascular Events and Inflammatory Factors in Patients With Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Undergoing Dual Antiplatelet Therapy

## TL;DR

This study examines how proton pump inhibitors affect heart-related events and inflammation in patients with stomach bleeding who are on antiplatelet therapy.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence that PPIs do not increase cardiovascular risks and may reduce inflammation in UGIB patients on DAPT.

## Key findings

- PPI use did not significantly increase cardiovascular event risk compared to non-PPI use.
- PPI treatment was associated with significantly lower CRP and TNF-α levels.
- Melena was the most common symptom observed in upper gastrointestinal bleeding patients.

## Abstract

Introduction: Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), vital post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to prevent cardiovascular events (CVEs) via aspirin and P2Y12 receptor antagonists, faces controversy when combined with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) due to potential impacts on bleeding risk and antiplatelet efficacy, prompting the need for further research to determine optimal co-administration practices. This work evaluated the effects of PPIs on CVEs and inflammatory factors in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) undergoing DAPT after PCI.

Materials and methods: The data of 166 patients who underwent PCI and developed UGIB while on DAPT from April 2021 to April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were rolled into two groups: those who received PPI treatment and those who did not, namely, the PPI and non-PPI group, respectively. Clinical data from these patients was analyzed, intending to provide relevant theoretical evidence for clinical practice. Furthermore, the occurrence of CVEs and the levels of inflammatory factors of patients in all groups were statistically analyzed.

Results: Melena was the most common clinical symptom observed in all UGIB patients. The incidence of CVEs in the PPI group was not greatly different from that in the non-PPI group (P>0.05). The distribution of CVEs occurrence among different PPI drugs also exhibited no obvious difference (P>0.05). The PPI group exhibited greatly lower C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) based on the non-PPI group (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Melena was the most frequent clinical manifestation in UGIB patients. The use of PPIs did not increase the risk of CVEs, and different PPI drugs did not affect the occurrence of CVEs. Furthermore, PPIs lowered CRP and TNF-α levels in serum of these patients.