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Current U.S. guidelines recommend at least 12 months of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug-eluting stent placement, but the optimal duration is debated. To investigate the issue, investigators performed a meta-analysis of 10 randomized trials (32,287 patients) that involved varying durations of DAPT.
Compared with 12 months of DAPT, 3 or 6 months of DAPT was associated with lower rates of major bleeding (odds ratio, 0.58) but with no significant differences in ischemia or thrombotic outcomes. Conversely, DAPT durations >12 months (vs. 12 months) were associated with fewer myocardial infarctions (MIs; OR, 0.53) and stent thromboses (OR, 0.33) but with higher risk for major bleeding (OR, 1.62); all cause, but not cardiovascular-relate…