Walking the Line with Ticagrelor: Meta-Analysis Comparing the Safety and Efficacy of Ticagrelor Monotherapy after a Short Course of Ticagrelor-Based Dual Antiplatelet Therapy versus Standard Therapy in Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

(1) Shorter-duration dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) followed by single antiplatelet therapy has been shown to significantly reduce bleeding events while preserving anti-ischemic effects in patients undergoing conventional percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Whether this strategy is also safe and effective in complex PCI remains elusive; (2) A systematic search of randomized controlled trials comparing a short course of ticagrelor-based DAPT versus standard DAPT in patients undergoing complex PCI was performed; (3) Of 10,689 studies screened, 3 were identified for a total of 4176 participants on ticagrelor monotherapy after a short course of ticagrelor-based DAPT, and 4209 on standard DAPT. The pooled analysis revealed no difference in the outcomes of major bleeding, myocardial infarction, definite or probable stent thrombosis and ischemic stroke. A significant reduction in the risk of cardiovascular death (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.52; 95% CI 0.28–0.96; p = 0.04), all-cause death (IRR 0.65; 95% CI 0.49–0.86; p = 0.003), and any bleeding events (IRR 0.62; 95% CI 0.47–0.81; p < 0.001) was seen in the shorter DAPT group; (4) Among patients undergoing complex PCI, ticagrelor monotherapy after a short course of ticagrelor-based DAPT significantly reduced bleeding risk without increasing ischemic risk. More data are needed to definitively explain mortality benefits