Longer dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention has higher anti-ischaemic efficacy than shorter DAPT but is associated with more frequent bleeding

Commentary on : Spencer FA, Prasad M, Vandvik PO, et al. Longer- versus shorter-duration dual-antiplatelet therapy after drug-eluting stent placement: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med 2015;163:118–26.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin plus a P2Y12 receptor antagonist is recommended after drug eluting stent implantation (DES) for at least 12 months by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association1 and for 6–12 months by European guidelines. Recent randomised controlled trials (RCT) suggested comparable efficacy of short-term DAPT versus therapy of at least 12 months, raising the question of whether prolonged DAPT offers clinical benefit. However, concerns about DES have arisen regarding the propensity … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DAnn%2BIntern%2BMed%26rft.volume%253D163%26rft.spage%253D118%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.7326%252FM15-0083%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F26005909%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.7326/M15-0083&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=26005909&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F21%2F1%2F16.atom