Recurrent cardiac ischemic events early after discontinuation of short-term heparin treatment in acute coronary syndromes: results from the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) 11B and Efficacy and Safety of Subcutaneous Enoxaparin in Non-Q-Wave Coronary Events (ESSENCE) studies.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether discontinuation of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) treatment results in a clustering of cardiac ischemic events as previously observed after cessation of unfractionated heparin (UFH) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients.

Background: Clinical trials in patients with ACS have shown early recurrent ischemic events after discontinuation of UFH treatment. We analyzed whether LMWH cessation also results in early ischemic recurrence events and if continuation of a fixed-dose LMWH prevents this complication.