Differential prognosis of patients that are candidates for standard, short or prolonged dual antiplatelet treatment discharged after an acute coronary syndrome

Abstract

BackgroundCurrent evidence supports the efficacy of prolonged dual antiplatelet treatment (DAPT) for patients at high-ischemic risk and low bleeding risk as well as the efficacy and safety of short DAPT in high-bleeding risk (HBR) patients. MethodsWe evaluated patterns of DAPT candidates in all patients discharged in 2 hospitals after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Patients categorized in 3 groups: 1) short-DAPT candidates if they met 1 major o 2 minor criteria for HBR, by the 2019 ARC-HBR criteria; 2) prolonged-DAPT candidates if were not HBR and had recurrent ACS, complex percutaneous coronary interventions or diabetes; 3) standard 12 months DAPT if were not include in the previous 2 groups. Major bleeding (MB) was registered according to 3 or 5 of the BARC consortium definitions. ResultsWe included 8252 patients and 3215 (39 %) were candidates for abbreviated DAPT, 3119 (37.8 %) for prolonged DAPT, and 1918 (23.2 %) for 12 m DAPT. Relevant differences were observed between the 3 categories beyond the bleeding risk. Median follow-up was 57 months. Multivariate analysis identified higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.96 95 % CI 1.45–2.67; p < 0.001), cardiovascular mortality (HR: 2.10 95 % CI 1.39–3.19; p < 0.011), MACE (HR: 1.69 95 % 1.50–2.02; p < 0.001) and MB (sHR: 3.41 95 % CI 1.45–8.02; p = 0.005) in candidates to short DAPT. Candidates to prolonged DAPT had higher risk of MACE (HR: 1.17 95 % CI 1.02–1.35; p = 0.027). ConclusionsAlmost two thirds of patients discharged after an ACS would be candidates for short or prolonged DAPT and these patients are at higher risk of MACE and mortality.