Might Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Make a Difference in Patients with Diabetes, CAD, and PCI?

In a prespecified analysis of the industry-sponsored, multicenter, randomized, double-blind THEMIS trial (NEJM JW Cardiol Sep 1 2019; [e-pub] and N Engl J Med 2019 Sep 1; [e-pub]), these researchers examined efficacy of ticagrelor plus aspirin versus placebo plus aspirin among a subgroup of patients with histories of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

THEMIS enrolled people aged ≥50 with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and type 2 diabetes. The slight efficacy advantage with ticagrelor was offset by a slight increase in the risk of adverse events.

In the THEMIS-PCI analysis of 11,154 participants with PCI histories (58% of the THEMIS population), the median follow-up was 3.3 years, and the median time since primary PCI was 3.3 year…