Coronary disease & ACSMeta-analysis

P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy after abbreviated dual antiplatelet therapy following percutaneous coronary intervention: a meta-analysis

Eur Heart JPublished

  • Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials
  • pairwise random-effects meta-analysis
  • network meta-analysis

Authors' conclusion

Aspirin discontinuation at either ≤1 or 3 months with continued P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy is associated with similar MACE, lower bleeding, and lower NACE compared with continued DAPT. Discontinuation within the first month may confer additional bleeding benefit, but at the cost of excess stent thrombosis, particularly in patients at higher ischaemic risk.

Study context

Population
Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
Participants
37,443 patients · 11 RCTs
Comparison
Aspirin discontinuation at ≤1 month or 3 months vs 12-month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT)
Outcome
Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE)

Pooled result

As reported in the abstract

Each group vs 12-month DAPTRelative risk (95% CI)
≤1 month
1.01(0.85–1.20)
3 months
0.95(0.67–1.36)

Further pooled results

OutcomeRR (95% CI)P value
Major bleeding — ≤1 month vs 12-month DAPT0.46 (0.23–0.94)P = 0.038
Major bleeding — 3 months vs 12-month DAPT0.59 (0.39–0.89)P = 0.027
Major or minor bleeding — ≤1 month vs 12-month DAPT0.43 (0.36–0.51)P < 0.001
Major or minor bleeding — 3 months vs 12-month DAPT0.57 (0.53–0.60)P = 0.005
Major or minor bleeding — ≤1 month vs 3 months · network meta-analysis, indirect comparison0.75 (0.57–0.99)P = 0.044
  • Major or minor bleeding: P = 0.044 for interaction

Net adverse cardiovascular events (NACE)

Significantly reduced with ≤1-month discontinuation; no significant differences between discontinuation timings

Safety

OutcomeRR (95% CI)P value
Stent thrombosis, ACS (sensitivity analysis) · excess mainly with discontinuation <1 month1.81 (1.15–2.84)P = 0.019

Original publication

P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy after abbreviated dual antiplatelet therapy following percutaneous coronary intervention: a meta-analysis. Eur Heart J. Published 5 June 2026. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehag381

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