Impact of Ticagrelor Monotherapy on Two-Year Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Long Stenting: A Post Hoc Analysis of the Global Leaders Trial.

AIMS To evaluate the impact of a novel antiplatelet regimen in patients with increasing total stent length (TSL). METHODS AND RESULTS This is a post-hoc analysis of the Global Leaders trial, a prospective, multi-centre, open-label, randomised trial, investigating the impact of the experimental strategy (one-month dual antiplatelet regimen [DAPT] followed by 23-month ticagrelor monotherapy) versus the reference regimen (12-month DAPT followed by 12-month aspirin monotherapy) in patients with Biolimus A9-eluting stent (BES). The primary endpoint was the composite of the all-cause death and new Q-wave myocardial infarction (MI), and the secondary endpoint was Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 3 or 5 bleeding at two years. To investigate the association between total stent length and outcomes, groups were compared in quartiles according to TSL, and the fourth quartile group was at significantly higher ischemic risk at two years. In that stratum (TSL≥ 46mm), the experimental strategy significantly reduced the risk of the primary endpoint (hazard ratio [HR]:0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.49-0.90; Pinteraction=0.043), while demonstrating a similar risk of BARC type 3 or 5 bleeding (HR:0.99; 95% CI:0.66-1.49; Pinteraction =0.975). CONCLUSIONS Ticagrelor monotherapy potentially could balance ischemic and bleeding risks, thereby achieving a net clinical benefit in patients with TSL≥ 46 mm with BES