ISCHÆMIC HEART-DISEASE AND WITHDRAWAL OF ANTICOAGULANT THERAPY

In a double-blind prospective trial with a follow-up of nine months no significant difference in the incidence of thromboembolic complications was found between two matched groups of 39 patients from whom long-term anticoagulants were withdrawn abruptly and gradually respectively. 37 " bad-risk " patients in whom anticoagulant therapy was continued fared significantly better than either of the two " good-risk " groups from whom anticoagulants were withdrawn. In general the results suggest that withdrawal before the elapse of two years of treatment does not carry as great a risk as withdrawal after two years of treatment.