A Comparison of a Moderate with Moderate-high Intensity Oral Anticoagulant Treatment in Patients with Mechanical Heart Valve Prostheses

Abstract

Mechanical heart valve patients on anticoagulant treatment who had been operated on at least 6 months earlier experienced fewer bleeding complications when maintained on a moderate intensity regimen (target INR = 3) than those on a moderate-high intensity regimen (target INR = 4). The number of thromboembolic events and vascular deaths did not differ between the two groups.