Duration of dual antiplatelet therapy in patients with CKD and drug-eluting stents: A meta-analysis

Background and objectives Whether prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is more protective in patients with CKD and drug-eluting stents compared with shorter DAPT is uncertain. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine whether shorter DAPT in patients with drug-eluting stents and CKD is associated with lower mortality or major adverse cardiovascular event rates compared with longer DAPT. Design, setting, participants, & measurements A Medline literature research was conducted to identify randomized trials in patientswith drug-eluting stents comparing differentDAPTduration strategies. Inclusion of patients with CKD was also required. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, or stent thrombosis (definite or probable). Major bleedingwas the secondary outcome. The risk ratio (RR) was estimated using a random-effects model. Results Five randomized trials were included (1902 patientswith CKD). Short DAPT (≤6months)was associated with a similar incidence of the primary outcome, compared with 12-month DAPT among patients with CKD (48 versus 50 events; RR, 0.93; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.64 to 1.36; P=0.72). Twelve-month DAPT was also associatedwith a similar incidence of theprimary outcome comparedwithextendedDAPT(≥30months) in the CKD subgroup (35 versus 35 events; RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.67 to 1.62; P=0.87). Numerically lower major bleeding event rates were detected with shorter versus 12-month DAPT (9 versus 13 events; RR, 0.69; 95%CI, 0.30 to 1.60; P=0.39) and 12-month versus extended DAPT (9 versus 12 events; RR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.35 to 1.93; P=0.66) in patients with CKD. Conclusions Short DAPT does not appear to be inferior to longer DAPT in patients with CKD and drug-eluting stents. Because of imprecision in estimates (fewevents andwide confidence intervals), no definite conclusions can be drawn with respect to stent thrombosis.