Background

The aim of the present study was to perform a preliminary evaluation of the potential association between platelet distribution width (PDW) and frequency of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) development in an observational study of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.

Methods

A total of 679 consecutive patients with ACS (498 (73.3%) males; mean age was 63.31 ± 11.2 years; study population composed of 320 patients with acute myocardial infarction and 359 patients with unstable angina pectoris) subjected to primary percutaneous coronary intervention with transradial approach (TRA) were retrospectively enrolled to the study. Tertiles were formed based on PDW levels. The associations between PDW and in-hospital and long-term MACEs were analysed.

Results

The frequencies of in-hospital instent thrombosis (P=0.05), long-term instent restenosis (P=0.005) and long-term total MACEs (P=0.008) were higher in tertiles having a high PDW value. In multivariate analyses, PDW was an independent predictor of in-hospital and long-term MACEs (odds ratio 1.081, 95% confidence interval 1.003-1.165; p=0.042). The projected Kaplan-Meier incidence of a MACEs in the PDW tertiles groups were 12.8%, 12.1%, and 21.6% at 40 months (respectively, p=0.003).

Conclusions

The pre-procedural PDW may be an independent predictor of both in-hospital and long-term adverse outcomes in patients with ACS.