Management of acute coronary syndrome in the hospital: a focus on ACCF/AHA guideline updates to oral antiplatelet therapy

Short-term vs long-term dual antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent implantation in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is under controversial. The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of short-term (≤6 months) DAPT vs long-term (≥12 months) DAPT after PCI with a drug-eluting stent (DES).

METHODS

We systematically searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed and Embase databases to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared short-term (≤6 months) and long-term (≥12 months) DAPT. The endpoints included major bleeding, any bleeding, death from any cause, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, stent thrombosis and target vessel revascularisation. The primary outcome was major bleeding. A fixed-effects model was used to calculate the risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of each endpoint.

RESULTS

Eighteen trials involving 57,940 patients were included. Compared with long-term DAPT, short-term DAPT resulted in lower rates of major bleeding [RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.65-0.87, P = .0002] and any bleeding [RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.54-0.69, P < .00001]. No significant difference was observed in the outcomes of death from any cause, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, stent thrombosis, or target vessel revascularisation. The subgroup analysis according to different DAPT durations, mono antiplatelet therapies (MAPTs), countries and P2Y12 inhibitors produced similar outcomes as comprehensive outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with long-term DAPT, short-term DAPT did not increase the risk of ischemic complications but did reduce the risks of major bleeding and any bleeding by over 25%. This study showed that short-term DAPT could be considered for most patients after DES implantation.

Acute glycemic variability on admission predicts the prognosis in hospitalized patients with coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Increased glycemic variability has been related with poor prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, whether diabetic status or subtype of CAD could affect the association remains unknown. We performed a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the association between the mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) on continuous glucose monitoring and the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in CAD patients.

METHODS

Relevant prospective cohort studies were identified through search of PubMed, Embase, WanFang, and CNKI databases. A random-effect model was used to pool the results. Subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate the influences of the predefined study characteristics on the outcome.

RESULTS

Eleven cohort studies with 2666 hospitalized patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or stable CAD for percutaneous coronary intervention were included. Pooled results showed that higher MAGE at admission was associated with higher incidence of MACEs during follow-up (adjusted relative risk [RR]: 1.84, p < 0.001; I² = 12%). Stratified analyses showed that the association between higher MAGE and higher risk of MACEs in CAD patients were consistent in patients with or without diabetes, and in those with ACS or stable CAD (p for subgroup difference both >0.05). Significant publication bias was detected (p = 0.041). Trim-and-fill analysis retrieved three studies to generate symmetrical funnel plots. Meta-analysis that incorporated these studies showed similar results (RR: 1.80, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Increased glycemic variability may be associated with poor prognosis in CAD patients regardless of the diabetic status and the subtype of CAD.

Duration of dual antiplatelet therapy and outcome in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous revascularization: A meta-analysis of 11 randomized trials

BACKGROUND

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) represent a context of higher thrombotic risk, where larger advantages have been achieved by the administration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). However, the indication of 1 year DAPT after coronary angioplasty for ACS has been supported by an outdated randomized trial (PCI-CURE). In addition, the initial fear of late thrombotic events emerged with first generation drug-eluting stents (DES), that suggested the need of a prolonged DAPT prescription, has been completely overcome by the recent technological evolution of DES, that have shown faster re-endothelization and lower rates of late thrombotic complications. By keeping in mind the balance between thrombotic and bleeding complications, and due to the paucity of dedicated randomized trials, the identification of the optimal duration of DAPT after ACS is still matter of debate, and is therefore the aim of the present meta-analysis.

METHODS

Literature and main scientific session abstracts were searched. The primary efficacy endpoint was mortality, primary safety endpoint was the occurrence of major bleedings. A pre-specified analysis was conducted according to the DAPT strategy allocation (<12 vs standard 12 months duration and 6-12 months vs extended DAPT).

RESULTS

We included 3 RCTs and subanalyses from 8 RCTs, with a total of 17,941 patients. No difference in mortality was observed between shorter vs longer DAPT (OR[95%CI] = 1.11[0.90,1.36], p = 0.33; phet = 0.76). A shorter DAPT duration significantly reduced the rate of major bleeding events (1.5%, vs 1.9%, OR [95%CI] = 0.75 [0.60, 0.94], p = 0.01; phet = 0.43). The reduction in bleeding events was more significant in trials evaluating extended DAPT duration (OR[95%CI] = 0.62[0.45, 0.85], p = 0.003; phet = 0.49). No difference in cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction and stent thrombosis was observed with shorter vs standard 12-moth DAPT, whereas a more extended treatment (beyond 1 year), was associated with a significant reduction in recurrent ischemic events. Similar results were observed at a sensitivity analysis conducted according to the type of stent, time to randomization or DAPT duration.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the current meta-analysis including 17,941 ACS patients undergoing PCI, a short duration of DAPT may be safely considered, with similar rates of recurrent thrombotic complications as compared to the standard 12 months, and similar mortality. A more extended DAPT administration (beyond 1 year) provides benefits in ischemic events, but with an excess in haemorragic complications, with overall neutral effects on mortality.