In patients with acute and chronic coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) has been the cornerstone of pharmacotherapy for the past two decades. Although its antithrombotic benefit is well established, DAPT is associated with an increased risk of bleeding, which is independently associated with poor prognosis. The improvement of the safety profiles of drug-eluting stents has been critical in investigating and implementing shorter DAPT regimens. The introduction into clinical practice of newer generation oral P2Y12 inhibitors such as prasugrel and ticagrelor, which provide more potent and predictable platelet inhibition, has questioned the paradigm of standard DAPT durations after coronary stenting. Over the last five years, several trials have assessed the safety and efficacy of P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy after a short course of DAPT in patients treated with PCI. Moreover, ongoing studies are testing the role of P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy immediately after PCI in selected patients. In this review, we provide up-to-date evidence on the efficacy and safety of P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy after a short period of DAPT compared to DAPT in patients undergoing PCI as well as outcomes associated with P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy compared to aspirin for long-term prevention.
Keywords: P2Y12 inhibitor; dual antiplatelet therapy; high bleeding risk; high on-treatment platelet reactivity; monotherapy; percutaneous coronary intervention; randomized controlled trial.