Prasugrel use and clinical outcomes by age among patients undergoing PCI for acute coronary syndrome: from the PROMETHEUS study

Treatment of elderly patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction: the nationwide POPular age registry

OBJECTIVE

We describe the current treatment of elderly patients with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) enrolled in a national registry.

METHODS

The POPular AGE registry is a prospective, multicentre study of patients ≥ 75 years of age presenting with NSTEMI, performed in the Netherlands. Management was at the discretion of the treating physician. Cardiovascular events consisted of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and ischaemic stroke. Bleeding was classified according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) criteria.

RESULTS

A total of 646 patients were enrolled between August 2016 and May 2018. Median age was 81 (IQR 77-84) years and 58% were male. Overall, 75% underwent coronary angiography, 40% percutaneous coronary intervention, and 11% coronary artery bypass grafting, while 49.8% received pharmacological therapy only. At discharge, dual antiplatelet therapy (aspirin and P2Y12 inhibitor) was prescribed to 56.7%, and 27.4% received oral anticoagulation plus at least one antiplatelet agent. At 1‑year follow-up, cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or stroke had occurred in 13.6% and major bleeding (BARC 3 and 5) in 3.9% of patients. The risk of both cardiovascular events and major bleeding was highest during the 1st month. However, cardiovascular risk was three times as high as bleeding risk in this elderly population, both after 1 month and after 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS

In this national registry of elderly patients with NSTEMI, the majority are treated according to current European Society of Cardiology guidelines. Both the cardiovascular and bleeding risk are highest during the 1st month after NSTEMI. However, the cardiovascular risk was three times as high as the bleeding risk.

Clopidogrel versus ticagrelor in East Asian patients aged 75 years or older with acute coronary syndrome: observations from the GF-APT registry

The benefits of potent antithrombotic therapy usually come at the expense of a higher risk of bleeding. The efficacy and safety of ticagrelor in elderly East Asian populations remains debated due to the concerns about the imbalance of ischemic and bleeding risks. This study aimed to compare the impact of clopidogrel with ticagrelor on clinical outcomes in East Asian patients aged ≥75 years with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) using data from an institutional registry. We assessed the treatment effect of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel based on propensity scores and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. A total of 2775 ACS patients were included, of which 235 (8.5%) were treated with ticagrelor. The primary efficacy outcome occurred in 11.9% of patients treated with ticagrelor versus 8.8% treated with clopidogrel. There was no significant association between treatment with ticagrelor and a lower risk of the primary efficacy outcome (p = .156). However, the incidences of all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR] 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02 to 2.79) and major bleeding (adjusted HR 2.20, 95% CI 1.06 to 4.56) were significantly higher in patients treated with ticagrelor than clopidogrel. In elderly patients with ACS from East Asia, the efficacy of clopidogrel was comparable to ticagrelor, while ticagrelor is associated with an increased risk of mortality and major bleeding.

Ticagrelor vs. Clopidogrel in Older Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From a Real-World Registry

Background and Objectives

It is unclear whether more potent P2Y12 inhibitors are of benefit to older patients who are at high risk for both ischemia and bleeding. We conducted an observational study to compare the clinical outcomes of clopidogrel and ticagrelor uses in older patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods

Older patients (aged ≥65 years) with ACS who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) were divided into clopidogrel-treated and ticagrelor-treated groups. The primary observational endpoint was the occurrence of net adverse clinical and cerebral events (NACCEs) during a 12-month period, which is defined as the composite endpoint of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, stent thrombosis, urgent coronary revascularization, and clinically significant bleeding. The secondary endpoints were clinically significant bleeding and major adverse clinical and cerebral events (MACCEs).

Results

This study included a total of 2,611 patients. Of them, 1,636 received clopidogrel and 975 received ticagrelor. Between patients receiving clopidogrel and those receiving ticagrelor, no significant differences were noted in NACCE (8.4 vs. 9.7%, respectively; adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66-1.12) or MACCE (7.1 vs. 7.0%, respectively; adjusted HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.83-1.55) during the 12-month follow-up period. In contrast, the occurrence of clinically significant bleeding was significantly less in clopidogrel-treated patients compared with that in ticagrelor-treated patients (27, 1.7%, vs. 31, 3.2%, respectively; adjusted HR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.25-0.69). Stratified analyses revealed no significant association between age (≥75 years vs. <75 years) and treatment condition in terms of primary or secondary endpoints.

Conclusion

This study showed that clopidogrel and ticagrelor had comparable net clinical benefits in patients with ACS aged ≥65 years. Additionally, clopidogrel was associated with a significantly lower risk of major bleeding than ticagrelor without an increase in ischemic risk. These findings suggest that clopidogrel is an effective alternative to the more potent P2Y12 inhibitor ticagrelor in older patients.

Comparison of One-Year Outcomes in Patients >75 Versus ≤75 Years With Coronary Artery Disease Treated With COMBO Stents (From The MASCOT Registry)

Older patients who undergo coronary interventions are at greater risk of ischemic events and less likely to tolerate prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) due to bleeding risk. The COMBO biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent promotes rapid endothelialization through endothelial progenitor cell capture technology which may be advantageous in elderly patients. We compared 1-year clinical outcomes and DAPT cessation events in patients >75 versus ≤75 years from the MASCOT registry. MASCOT was a prospective, multicenter cohort study of all-comers undergoing attempted COMBO stenting. The primary endpoint was 1-year target lesion failure (TLF), composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) not clearly attributed to a nontarget vessel or clinically driven target lesion revascularization. Bleeding was adjudicated using the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria. Adjusted outcomes were analyzed using Cox regression methods. The study included 18% (n = 479) patients >75 years and 72% (n = 2,135) patients ≤75 years. One-year TLF occurred in 4.6% patients >75 years versus 3.1% patients ≤75years of age, p = 0.10; adj hazard ratio 1.36, 95% confidence intervals 0.77 to 2.38, p = 0.29. There were no significant differences in cardiac death (1.7% vs 1.3%, p = 0.55), MI (2.1% vs 1.2%, p = 0.14), target lesion revascularization (1.7% vs 1.4%, p = 0.60) and definite stent thrombosis (0.8% vs 0.4%, p = 0.19). Major Bleeding Academic Research Consortium 3,5 bleeding (3.1% vs 1.5%, p = 0.01) and DAPT cessation rates (32.4% vs 23.0%, p <0.001) were significantly higher in elderly patients. In conclusion, elderly patients >75 years treated with COMBO stents had similar TLF but significantly greater incidence of bleeding than younger patients and DAPT cessation in one-third of patients over 1 year.

Clopidogrel versus ticagrelor or prasugrel in patients aged 70 years or older with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (POPular AGE): the randomised, open-label, non-inferiority trial

BACKGROUND

Current guidelines recommend potent platelet inhibition with ticagrelor or prasugrel in patients after an acute coronary syndrome. However, data about optimal platelet inhibition in older patients are scarce. We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of clopidogrel compared with ticagrelor or prasugrel in older patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS).

METHODS

We did the open-label, randomised controlled POPular AGE trial in 12 sites (ten hospitals and two university hospitals) in the Netherlands. Patients aged 70 years or older with NSTE-ACS were enrolled and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio using an internet-based randomisation procedure with block sizes of six to receive a loading dose of clopidogrel 300 mg or 600 mg, or ticagrelor 180 mg or prasugrel 60 mg, and then a maintenance dose for the duration of 12 months (clopidogrel 75 mg once daily, ticagrelor 90 mg twice daily, or prasugrel 10 mg once daily) on top of standard care. Patient and treating physicians were aware of the allocated treatment strategy, but the outcome assessors were masked to treatment allocation. Primary bleeding outcome consisted of PLATelet inhibition and patient Outcomes (PLATO; major or minor bleeding [superiority hypothesis]). Co-primary net clinical benefit outcome consisted of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, PLATO major and minor bleeding (non-inferiority hypothesis, margin of 2%). Follow-up duration was 12 months. Analyses were done on intention-to-treat basis. This trial is registered with the Netherlands Trial Register (NL3804), ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02317198), and EudraCT (2013-001403-37).

FINDINGS

Between June 10, 2013, and Oct 17, 2018, 1002 patients were randomly assigned to clopidogrel (n=500) or ticagrelor or prasugrel (n=502). Because 475 (95%) patients received ticagrelor in the ticagrelor or prasugrel group, we will refer to this group as the ticagrelor group. Premature discontinuation of the study drug occurred in 238 (47%) of 502 ticagrelor group patients randomly assigned to ticagrelor, and in 112 (22%) of 500 patients randomly assigned to clopidogrel. Primary bleeding outcome was significantly lower in the clopidogrel group (88 [18%] of 500 patients) than in the ticagrelor group (118 [24%] of 502; hazard ratio 0·71, 95% CI 0·54 to 0·94; p=0·02 for superiority). Co-primary net clinical benefit outcome was non-inferior for the use of clopidogrel (139 [28%]) versus ticagrelor (161 [32%]; absolute risk difference -4%, 95% CI -10·0 to 1·4; p=0·03 for non-inferiority). The most important reasons for discontinuation were occurrence of bleeding (n=38), dyspnoea (n=40), and the need for treatment with oral anticoagulation (n=35).

INTERPRETATION

In patients aged 70 years or older presenting with NSTE-ACS, clopidogrel is a favourable alternative to ticagrelor, because it leads to fewer bleeding events without an increase in the combined endpoint of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and bleeding. Clopidogrel could be an alternative P2Y12 inhibitor especially for elderly patients with a higher bleeding risk.

FUNDING

ZonMw.