Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Beyond 1 Year After Stenting?

Aspirin alone seems sufficient in low-risk patients.

Current guidelines for prolonged use of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) may no longer apply to all patients undergoing drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation (NEJM JW Cardiol Dec 12 2013); and continuation of DAPT beyond 1 year could even be harmful. In an extension of the ARCTIC-Monitoring trial of DES patients who were randomized to platelet function testing with antiplatelet treatment adjustment or a conventional strategy for 1 year (NCT00827411; NEJM JW Cardiol Nov 4 2012), French investigators conducted a second randomization in 1259 of 2440 patients without contraindications to interruption of DAPT. Patients were assigned to aspirin monotherapy (interruption group) or aspirin plus a thienopyridine (continuation group) for another 6 to…

Reviewing Author

Beat J. Meyer, MD

Disclosures

Leadership positions in professional societiesBern Heart Foundation (President); International Academy of Medicine, Bern, Switzerland (Director)

Beat J. Meyer, MD

Disclosures

Leadership positions in professional societiesBern Heart Foundation (President); International Academy of Medicine, Bern, Switzerland (Director)

Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Beyond 1 Year After Stenting?

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Reviewing Author