Coronary disease & ACSCohort study

Abbreviated dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug coated balloons in acute coronary syndromes: insights from the SWEDEHEART registry

Eur Heart J Cardiovasc PharmacotherPublished

  • nationwide registry-based analysis
  • inverse-probability-of-treatment-weighted Cox regression

Authors' conclusion

In this nationwide registry-based analysis, abbreviated DAPT following DCB-only PCI in ACS was not associated with a statistically significant difference in NACE. However, the confidence intervals were wide and did not exclude clinically meaningful harm. The findings should be regarded as hypothesis-generating and indicate the need for more comprehensive evidence before abbreviated DAPT is routinely adopted in this setting.

Study context

Population
Patients with acute coronary syndromes treated exclusively with drug-coated balloons (DCBs), enrolled in the SWEDEHEART registry between June 2013 and February 2022, discharged with ticagrelorabbreviated DAPT 141 · standard DAPT 986
Participants
1,128 patients
Exposure
abbreviated DAPT vs standard DAPT
  • abbreviated DAPTn = 141
  • standard DAPTn = 986
Outcome
net adverse clinical events (NACE): first occurrence of all-cause death, stroke, myocardial infarction, or major bleeding
Follow-up
1 year from discharge date

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

Weighted hazard ratio

1.29

95% CI 0.81–2.03

P = 0.28

Events by group

abbreviated DAPT

weighted 17.8%

25 of 141

standard DAPT

weighted 13.8%

133 of 986

abbreviated DAPT vs standard DAPT
weighted hazard ratio 1.29 (95% CI 0.81–2.03); P = 0.28

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Original publication

Abbreviated dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug coated balloons in acute coronary syndromes: insights from the SWEDEHEART registry. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacother. Published 7 May 2026. doi:10.1093/ehjcvp/pvag032

Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it