Individualized antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent deployment: Implication of clinical trials of different durations of dual antiplatelet therapy.

At present, there is consensus that prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is effective to reduce cardiovascular events at the expense of bleeding complication events. A causal relationship of prolonged DAPT with an increase in mortality remains debatable, however, it appears to be obvious that bleeding complications are associated with an increase in cardiac events. Thus, individualized optimal DAPT duration balancing the risk and benefit of DAPT should be applied.

Safety and efficacy of clopidogrel treatment in Japanese patients undergoing drug-eluting stent implantation.

Background: Clopidogrel has been utilized as an antiplatelet therapy for patients undergoing stent implantation. In the Japanese population, however, the impact of clopidogrel on the occurrence of early adverse events is unknown. This study sought to evaluate procedural major bleeding and myocardial infarction in patients undergoing stent implantation with adjunctive clopidogrel compared with ticlopidine.