Background The net clinical benefit of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) reflects the paradoxical effects of an increased risk of bleeding and a reduced risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. A time-constrained approach to DAPT has been recently investigated in 5 multicenter trials including GLOBAL LEADERS, STOPDAPT2 (Short and Optimal Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Everolimus-Eluting Cobalt-Chromium Stent-2), SMART-CHOICE, TWILIGHT (Ticagrelor With Aspirin or Alone in High-Risk Patients After Coronary Intervention), and TICO (Ticagrelor Monotherapy After 3 Months in the Patients Treated With New Generation Sirolimus Stent for Acute Coronary Syndrome). Methods and Results We undertook a pooled analysis of these trials to assess the overall associations between time-constrained P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy (aspirin-free regimen) for bleeding events, major adverse cardiovascular events, and all-cause mortality as compared to standard care with DAPT for at least 12 months post-percutaneous coronary intervention. We implemented a DerSimonian and Laird random effects meta-analysis using the metafor package in R. 32 361 randomized trial participants, including 16 898 (52.2%) who had a history of acute coronary syndrome, underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, and had outcome data available. P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy from 1 to 3 months was associated with a reduced risk for bleeding (hazard ratio [HR] 0.60; 95% CI, 0.45-0.81), including in the acute coronary syndrome group in which the magnitude of risk reduction was greatest (HR 0.50; 95% CI, 0.41-0.61). The estimates of the effect of P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy on the HR were also favorable for major adverse cardiovascular events (0.88; 95% CI, 0.77-1.02) and all-cause mortality (0.85; 95% CI, 0.71-1.03). Conclusions Compared with DAPT for 12 months post-percutaneous coronary intervention, P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy from 1 to 3 months substantially reduces the risk of major and fatal bleeding and, in addition, confers potentially protective effects, for major adverse cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. Considering patient safety, the results support a strategy of DAPT for 1 to 3 months followed by aspirin-free P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy.
Keywords: acute coronary syndrome; antiplatelet agent; dual antiplatelet therapy; meta-analysis; percutaneous coronary intervention.