Background: Restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary (balloon) angioplasty (PTCA) remains a major drawback of the procedure. We previously reported that cilostazol, a platelet aggregation inhibitor, inhibited intimal proliferation after directional coronary atherectomy and reduced the restenosis rate in humans. The present study aimed to determine the effect of cilostazol on restenosis after PTCA.
Methods and results: Two hundred eleven patients with 273 lesions who underwent successful PTCA were randomly assigned to the cilostazol (200 mg/d) group or the aspirin (250 mg/d) control group. Administration of cilostazol was initiated immediately after PTCA and continued for 3 months of follow-up. Quantitative coronary angiography was performed before PTCA and after PTCA and at follow-up. Reference diameter, minimal lumen diameter, and percent diameter stenosis (DS) were measured by quantitative coronary angiography. Angiographic restenosis was defined as DS at follow-up >50%. Eligible follow-up angiography was performed in 94 patients with 123 lesions in the cilostazol group and in 99 patients with 129 lesions in the control group. The baseline characteristics and results of PTCA showed no significant difference between the 2 groups. However, minimal lumen diameter at follow-up was significantly larger (1.65+/-0.55 vs 1.37+/-0.58 mm; P<0.0001) and DS was significantly lower (34.1+/-17.8% vs 45.6+/-19. 3%; P<0.0001) in the cilostazol group. Restenosis and target lesion revascularization rates were also significantly lower in the cilostazol group (17.9% vs 39.5%; P<0.001 and 11.4% vs 28.7%; P<0. 001).
Conclusions: Cilostazol significantly reduces restenosis and target lesion revascularization rates after successful PTCA.