Non-inferiority of 1 month longer dual antiplatelet therapy in patients undergoing PCI with drug-eluting stents: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Aim: The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the safety of 1-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) followed by aspirin or a P2Y12 receptor inhibitor, after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES), based on the available evidence.

Methods: PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov database search identified four RCTs of 26,431 patients who underwent PCI with DES and compared 1-month >1-month DAPT. The primary endpoint was major bleeding and co-primary endpoint stent thrombosis, and secondary endpoints included all-cause mortality, cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and major adverse clinical events (MACE).

Results: Compared with >1-month DAPT, the 1-month DAPT was associated with a similar rate of major bleeding (OR = 0.74, 95%CI: 0.51-1.07,  = 0.11,  = 67%), stent thrombosis (OR = 1.10, 95%CI: 0.82-1.47,  = 0.53,  = 0.0%), similar risk for all-cause mortality (OR = 0.89, 95%CI: 0.77-1.04,  = 0.14,  = 0%), CV death (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.55-1.60,  = 0.24,  = 0.0%), MI (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.88-1.19,  = 0.78,  = 0.0%), and stroke (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.54-1.08,  = 0.13,  = 29%). The risk of MACE was lower (OR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.73-0.98,  = 0.02,  = 39%) in the 1-month DAPT compared with the >1-month DAPT. Only patients with stable CAD had lower risk of MACE with 1-month DAPT (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.67-0.98,  = 0.03, 21%) compared with >1-month DAPT.

Conclusion: This meta-analysis proved the non-inferiority of 1-month DAPT followed by aspirin or a P2Y12 receptor inhibitor compared with long-term DAPT in patients undergoing PCI with DES.