Coronary disease & ACS

Clopidogrel monotherapy versus aspirin monotherapy in females and males after percutaneous coronary intervention: a sex-stratified analysis of the SMART-CHOICE 3 trial

EuroInterventionPublished prespecified substudy of the SMART-CHOICE 3 trial

Authors' conclusion

In patients with remote PCI and a high risk of recurrent ischaemic events, clopidogrel monotherapy showed a directionally consistent reduction in the composite endpoint of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or stroke compared with aspirin in both females and males. No significant sex-by-treatment interaction was observed, supporting the consistency of the treatment effect across sexes.

Study context

Population
Patients at high risk of recurrent ischaemic events who had completed the standard duration of dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), South Koreapatients enrolled · females 1,002 · males 4,504
Participants
5,506 patients
Comparison
Clopidogrel, compared with aspirin, in females and males
Primary endpoint
Composite of:
  • All-cause death
  • Myocardial infarction
  • Stroke
Methodological detailsrandomly assigned
  • Randomly assigned

Primary result

As reported in the abstract

Estimate (95% CI)P value
Clopidogrelvs Aspirinfemales: 4.3% vs 9.4%
adjusted HR 0.45(0.24–0.85)
P = 0.014
Clopidogrelvs Aspirinmales: 4.4% vs 6.0%
adjusted HR 0.77(0.56–1.07)
P = 0.116
Femalesvs malesincidence by sex: 6.7% vs 5.2%
adjusted hazard ratio 0.89(0.62–1.28)
P = 0.537

Further findings

Baseline risk profile by sex

Females had a higher risk profile than males

Original publication

Clopidogrel monotherapy versus aspirin monotherapy in females and males after percutaneous coronary intervention: a sex-stratified analysis of the SMART-CHOICE 3 trial. EuroIntervention. Published 21 September 2026. doi:10.4244/eij-d-26-00332

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