Efficacy and safety of butylphthalide as adjunctive therapy for vascular dementia: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Butylphthalide is widely used for the adjunctive treatment of vascular dementia; however, the clinical evidences are not well synthesized yet. METHODS: We proposed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of butylphthalide as adjunctive therapy for vascular dementia. Seven electronic databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, Chongqing VIP database, China Biomedical Literature Database, Pubmed, EMBASE and Cochrane library) will be searched for eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Required data of included studies will be collected. Quality of studies will be evaluated using Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool. Data synthesis will be performed using Review Manager software. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis will also be carried. RESULTS: Synthesis results of current available RCTs regarding the efficacy and safety of butylphthalide for the treatment vascular dementia will be provided by this systematic review and meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide high level evidence of butylphthalide clinical application. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42020168947.

Effect of butylphthalide on new cerebral microbleeds in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the effect of dl-3-N-butylphthalide (NBP) on new cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). METHODS: We will prospectively enroll patients with AIS admitted to the stroke center of Jingjiang People's Hospital. Qualified participants will be randomly assigned to either the NBP group (NBP injection) or the control group (NBP injection placebo) in a ratio of 1:1. Patients will complete the brain magnetic resonance imaging within 48 hours and 14 days after stroke onset to observe the CMBs through susceptibility weighted imaging, and evaluate whether the use of NBP will affect the new CMBs in AIS patients. SPSS 20.0 will be used for statistical analyses. RESULT: We will provide practical and targeted results assessing the safety of NBP for AIS patients, to provide reference for clinical use of NBP. CONCLUSION: The stronger evidence about the effect of NBP on new CMBs in AIS patients will be provided for clinicians.

The effect of early dual antiplatelet timing on the microvascular resistance and ventricular function in primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Although dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) has been shown to improve index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR), the importance of the early DAPT administration on IMR and left ventricular function has not been clearly defined. In this study, we aimed to assess whether early DAPT administration affect IMR, epicardial flow, and left ventricular function in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).This was a prospective non-randomized study on STEMI receiving primary PCI in a tertiary hospital. All subjects received loading dose DAPT (Aspirin + Clopidogrel) before primary PCI. Patients were then divided into 2 groups, the first group consists of patients receiving DAPT time ≤2 hours and the second group consists of those with DAPT time >2 hours. The primary endpoint of this study was IMR, a microvasculature function index measured quantitatively by pressure-/temperature-tipped guidewire after balloon dilatation. The secondary endpoint was the mean difference of global longitudinal strain (GLS) change at 6 months follow-up, TIMI flow before, and after PCI between the 2 groups.There were 40 subjects qualified for the study, 20 subjects in each group. There was no significant difference in IMR (50.90 [34.66] vs 58.06 [45.56], P = .579) between the 2 groups. Early administration of DAPT improved ventricular function at 6 months, reflected by statistically significant greater improvement in terms of ΔGLS (-3.48 [2.61] vs -1.23 [2.87], P = .013) and Δejection fraction (10.65% [8.74] vs -0.75% [12.83], P = .002) in the DAPT time ≤2 hours group compared with DAPT time >2 hours group. TIMI flow before PCI (P = .653) and TIMI flow after PCI (P = .205) were similar in the 2 groups.Early DAPT administration ≤2 hours may improve left ventricular function, but not IMR and TIMI flow.

Influences of different dose of tirofiban for acute ST elevation myocardial infarction patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention.

Tirofiban is widely used in patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This drug can efficiently improve myocardial perfusion and cardiac function, but its dose still remains controversial. We here investigated the effects of different dose of tirofiban on myocardial reperfusion and heart function in patients with STEMI. A total of 312 STEMI patients who underwent PCI in our hospital from March 2017 to March 2018 were enrolled and randomly divided into control group (75 cases, 0 µg/kg), low-dose group (79 cases, 5 µg/kg), medium-dose group (81 cases, 10 µg/kg) and high-dose group (77 cases, 20 µg/kg). The infarction-targeted artery flow grade evaluated by thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI), corrected TIMI frame count (CTFC) and sum-ST-segment resolution were recorded. At Day 7 and Day 30 after PCI, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end diastolic diameter, left ventricular end systolic diameter, major adverse cardiovascular events and the hemorrhage and thrombocytopenia were also evaluated. After PCI, the rate of TIMI grade 3, CTFC and incidence of sum-ST-segment resolution > 50% of high-dose group were significantly higher than those of control group, low-dose group and medium-dose group (P < .05), and the CTFC of medium -dose group were significantly higher than that of control group, low-dose group (P < .05). Moreover, the LVEF, left ventricular end diastolic diameter and left ventricular end systolic diameter of high-dose group were significantly improved than those of other groups, and the LVEF of medium-dose group was significantly superior to that of low-dose group (P < .05). However, the incidence of major adverse cardiac events in high-dose group was significantly decreased, while the hemorrhage and incidence of thrombocytopenia of high-dose group were significantly higher than those of other 3 groups (P < .05). The tirofiban can effectively alleviate the myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury and promote the recovery of cardiac function in STEMI patients underwent PCI. Although the high-dose can enhance the clinical effects, it also increased the hemorrhagic risk. Therefore, the rational dosage application of tirofiban become much indispensable in view of patient's conditions and hemorrhagic risk, and a medium dose of 10 µg/kg may be appropriate for patients without high hemorrhagic risk.

Aspirin in primary prevention: the triumph of clinical judgement over complex equations.

Aspirin, in 2017, has celebrated its 120th birthday. The efficacy and safety of low-dose aspirin in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease is well supported by many studies, instead in primary prevention it remains controversial, especially in the aftermath of the publication in 2018 of three novel primary prevention randomized clinical trials, showing that the benefit of low-dose aspirin, although additive to that of statin, is counterbalanced by an excess of (mainly gastrointestinal) bleeding events. The signal for a net benefit seems to be even more controversial in the elderly starting aspirin after the age of 70 years. While international guidelines have promptly downgraded their recommendations to more conservative indications, the practicing clinician is called to make the effort to individualize the treatment, after careful evaluation of the haemorrhagic risk vis-a-vis the risk to develop, in the mid-term and long-term follow-up, major cardiovascular events or cancer. This is a particularly complex task, given the different immediate and long-term impact of diverse outcomes on health, the dynamic nature over time of the benefit/risk balance, prompting periodic re-assessments of its indication, and the interindividual variability in aspirin response. The chemopreventive properties of aspirin, anticipated by a large body of epidemiological and mechanistic evidence, are awaiting their final confirmation by the long-term follow-up of the latest trials specifically designed to assess this endpoint, with the expectation to subvert the delicate benefit/risk balance of aspirin in primary prevention. This review is intended to provide an interpretation of past and current evidence to guide clinical decision making on the contemporary patient.

Feasibility of gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection with continuous low-dose aspirin for patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for gastric neoplasms during continuous low-dose aspirin (LDA) administration is generally acceptable according to recent guidelines. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the effect of continuous LDA on the postoperative bleeding after gastric ESD in patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). AIM: To investigate the feasibility of gastric ESD with continuous LDA in patients with DAPT. METHODS: A total of 597 patients with gastric neoplasms treated with ESD between January 2010 and June 2017 were enrolled. The patients were categorized according to type of antiplatelet therapy (APT). RESULTS: The postoperative bleeding rate was 6.9% (41/597) in all patients. Patients were divided into the following two groups: no APT (n = 443) and APT (n = 154). APT included single-LDA (n = 95) and DAPT (LDA plus clopidogrel, n = 59) subgroups. In the single-LDA and DAPT subgroups, 56 and 39 patients were received continuous LDA, respectively. The bleeding rate with continuous single-LDA (10.7%) was similar to that with discontinuous single-LDA (10.3%) (P > 0.99). Although the bleeding rate with continuous LDA in patients receiving DAPT (23.1%) was higher than that with discontinuous LDA in patients receiving DAPT (5.0%), no significant difference was observed (P = 0.141). CONCLUSION: The bleeding rate with continuous LDA in patients receiving DAPT was not statistically different from that with discontinuous LDA in patients receiving DAPT. Therefore, continuous LDA administration may be acceptable for ESD in patients receiving DAPT, although patients should be carefully monitored for possible bleeding.

Optimising antiplatelet utilisation in the acute care setting: a novel threshold for medical intervention in suspected acute coronary syndromes.

OBJECTIVES: To construct a model to optimise and personalise recommendations for antiplatelet prescription for patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Acknowledging that emergency physicians work with diagnostic uncertainty, we sought to identify the point at which the probability of ACS is sufficiently high that the benefits of antiplatelet treatment outweigh the risks. Second, we evaluated the projected clinical impact of this approach by using a clinical prediction model (Troponin-only Manchester Acute Coronary Syndromes (T-MACS)) to calculate the probability of ACS. METHODS: We conducted three systematic reviews, quantifying the effects of ticagrelor, clopidogrel or aspirin-alone treatment strategies for ACS (November 2017). We extracted data for (a) clinical outcomes and (b) weighted patient preferences (utilities) for each outcome. We then constructed utilitarian models, simulating the probability of clinical outcomes with different treatment strategies. This identified the threshold probability of ACS at which each treatment strategy became superior.We validated this approach in a prospective diagnostic study including patients with suspected ACS that was conducted at two large UK teaching hospitals (St George's Hospital London recruited October 2015 to June 2017 and Manchester Royal Infirmary: February 2015 to August 2017). We calculated the probability of ACS using T-MACS. The diagnosis of ACS was adjudicated based on serial high-sensitivity troponin testing and 30-day follow-up. RESULTS: We constructed three models using data from six studies. Prescribing ticagrelor had greatest overall benefit when the probability of ACS exceeded 8.0%. Below that threshold, aspirin alone yielded greater benefit. The validation study included 660 patients, of which 87 (13.2%) had ACS. Prescription of combined antiplatelet strategy to patients with >8% probability of ACS had greater utility than aspirin alone. CONCLUSION: Treatment with ticagrelor appears to yield greater net benefit for patients when the probability of ACS >8%. The clinical and cost-effectiveness of this 'precision medicine' approach warrants further study.

Bioassay based screening for the antiplatelet aggregation quality markers of Polygonum multiflorum with UPLC and chemometrics.

Currently, an increasing number of patients are seriously affected by acute thrombotic events. In China, Polygonum multiflorum (PM) is commonly used to treat diseases associated with thrombosis. Our previous work showed that PM could inhibit the platelet aggregation that plays a key role in the pathogenesis of thrombosis. However, the constituents of PM are complicated, and quality control methods cannot completely ensure the quality and clinical efficacy. In an attempts to explore this problem, we constructed a direct bioassay method to evaluate the antiplatelet aggregation effects of PM. To ensure the precision and reliability of this bioassay, we optimized and standardized the experimental conditions and then tested the standardized bioassay by analyzing 10 PM samples. Additionally, we combined chemical and biological evaluation methods to identify antiplatelet aggregation markers. The evaluation indicated that 10 samples of PM could inhibit platelet aggregation and there was a notable difference in biopotency between the different PM groups. Chemical fingerprints revealed variations in the contents of the 7 main peaks. Trans-2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy-stilbene-2-O-ß-d-glucoside and catechin might be active constituents of antiplatelet aggregation as determined by spectrum-effect relationships. This work indicates that bioassay and spectrum-effect relationships are useful tools to associate sample quality with the potential chemical markers linked to the clinical effects of Traditional Chinese Medicines.

ACOG Committee Opinion No. 743 Summary: Low-Dose Aspirin Use During Pregnancy.

Low-dose aspirin has been used during pregnancy, most commonly to prevent or delay the onset of preeclampsia. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued the Hypertension in Pregnancy Task Force Report recommending daily low-dose aspirin beginning in the late first trimester for women with a history of early-onset preeclampsia and preterm delivery at less than 34 0/7 weeks of gestation, or for women with more than one prior pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force published a similar guideline, although the list of indications for low-dose aspirin use was more expansive. Daily low-dose aspirin use in pregnancy is considered safe and is associated with a low likelihood of serious maternal, or fetal complications, or both, related to use. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine support the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guideline criteria for prevention of preeclampsia. Low-dose aspirin (81 mg/day) prophylaxis is recommended in women at high risk of preeclampsia and should be initiated between 12 weeks and 28 weeks of gestation (optimally before 16 weeks) and continued daily until delivery. Low-dose aspirin prophylaxis should be considered for women with more than one of several moderate risk factors for preeclampsia. Women at risk of preeclampsia are defined based on the presence of one or more high-risk factors (history of preeclampsia, multifetal gestation, renal disease, autoimmune disease, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and chronic hypertension) or more than one of several moderate-risk factors (first pregnancy, maternal age of 35 years or older, a body mass index greater than 30, family history of preeclampsia, sociodemographic characteristics, and personal history factors). In the absence of high risk factors for preeclampsia, current evidence does not support the use of prophylactic low-dose aspirin for the prevention of early pregnancy loss, fetal growth restriction, stillbirth, or preterm birth.

ACOG Committee Opinion No. 743: Low-Dose Aspirin Use During Pregnancy.

Low-dose aspirin has been used during pregnancy, most commonly to prevent or delay the onset of preeclampsia. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued the Hypertension in Pregnancy Task Force Report recommending daily low-dose aspirin beginning in the late first trimester for women with a history of early-onset preeclampsia and preterm delivery at less than 34 0/7 weeks of gestation, or for women with more than one prior pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force published a similar guideline, although the list of indications for low-dose aspirin use was more expansive. Daily low-dose aspirin use in pregnancy is considered safe and is associated with a low likelihood of serious maternal, or fetal complications, or both, related to use. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine support the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guideline criteria for prevention of preeclampsia. Low-dose aspirin (81 mg/day) prophylaxis is recommended in women at high risk of preeclampsia and should be initiated between 12 weeks and 28 weeks of gestation (optimally before 16 weeks) and continued daily until delivery. Low-dose aspirin prophylaxis should be considered for women with more than one of several moderate risk factors for preeclampsia. Women at risk of preeclampsia are defined based on the presence of one or more high-risk factors (history of preeclampsia, multifetal gestation, renal disease, autoimmune disease, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and chronic hypertension) or more than one of several moderate-risk factors (first pregnancy, maternal age of 35 years or older, a body mass index greater than 30, family history of preeclampsia, sociodemographic characteristics, and personal history factors). In the absence of high risk factors for preeclampsia, current evidence does not support the use of prophylactic low-dose aspirin for the prevention of early pregnancy loss, fetal growth restriction, stillbirth, or preterm birth.

European guidelines on perioperative venous thromboembolism prophylaxis: Chronic treatments with antiplatelet agents.

: Antiplatelet agents (APA) are considered first-line therapy in preventing cardiovascular thrombotic events, but they are of limited value in the prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism (VTE) during the perioperative period. Consequently, many patients should receive both an APA and an anticoagulant. This combination can increase the bleeding risk and it is necessary to make some recommendations to minimise that risk. In patients receiving APA chronically, if the risk of VTE outweighs the risk of bleeding, we suggest pharmacological prophylaxis (grade 2C). In patients treated with dual antiplatelet therapy undergoing a procedure associated with a high risk of VTE, resuming both APA shortly after the procedure must be prioritised over pharmacological VTE prevention (grade 2C). If the risk of bleeding from a combination of an APA and an anticoagulant outweighs the risk of VTE, we suggest mechanical thromboprophylaxis over anticoagulant prophylaxis, without discontinuing the APA (grade 2C). Patients in whom neuraxial anaesthesia is planned, a higher rate of complications could occur if pharmacological thromboprophylaxis is administered concurrently and postoperative thromboprophylaxis initiation should be suggested (grade 2C). After surgery, the first dose of aspirin should be given once haemostasis is guaranteed (grade 2B). In the case of clopidogrel, give the drug without a loading dose between 24 and 48 h after surgery (grade 2C).

European guidelines on perioperative venous thromboembolism prophylaxis: Aspirin.

: There is a good rationale for the use of aspirin in venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in some orthopaedic procedures, as already proposed by the 9th American College of Chest Physicians' guidelines (Grade 1C). We recommend using aspirin, considering that it may be less effective than or as effective as low molecular weight heparin for prevention of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism after total hip arthroplasty, total knee arthroplasty and hip fracture surgery (Grade 1C). Aspirin may be less effective than or as effective as low molecular weight heparins for prevention of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism after other orthopaedic procedures (Grade 2C). Aspirin may be associated with a low rate of bleeding after total hip arthroplasty, total knee arthroplasty and hip fracture surgery (Grade 1B). Aspirin may be associated with less bleeding after total hip arthroplasty, total knee arthroplasty and hip fracture surgery than other pharmacological agents (Grade 1B). No data are available for other orthopaedic procedures. We do not recommend aspirin as thromboprophylaxis in general surgery (Grade 1C). However, this type of prophylaxis could be interesting especially in low-income countries (Grade 2C) and adequate large-scale trials with proper study designs should be carried out (Grade 1C).

Underutilization of antiplatelet and statin therapy after postoperative myocardial infarction following vascular surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate adherence to practice guidelines for antiplatelet and statin use after postoperative myocardial infarction (POMI) and its effect on late mortality following vascular surgery in a multicenter registry. METHODS: Antiplatelet and statin use was examined in 1749 vascular surgery procedures with POMI within the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) from 2005 to 2015. Our primary aim was to assess cardiac medication (CM) use at discharge, defined as (1) single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT; aspirin or P2Y12 inhibitor) or dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT; aspirin and P2Y12 inhibitor) and (2) statin therapy. Long-term mortality in patients with POMI was analyzed on the basis of discharge CM. A proportional hazards model was developed to control for factors associated with mortality. Regional differences in CM use at discharge after POMI were compared. RESULTS: Overall discharge CM use after POMI included aspirin (81%), P2Y12 inhibitor (38%), statin therapy (76%), and combined antiplatelet and statin (74%). At discharge, 26% of patients were not receiving combined antiplatelet and statin therapy. SAPT (50%) was more common than DAPT (35%; P < .001). Patients with POMI undergoing carotid endarterectomy were more likely to be discharged on CM (80%) compared with patients undergoing infrainguinal bypass (78%), suprainguinal bypass (72%), endovascular aneurysm repair (71%), and open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (59%; P < .001). Patients receiving SAPT or DAPT plus statin therapy had improved survival (79%) compared with those receiving noncombination or no therapy (69%) with mean follow-up of 5.5 years and 4.9 years, respectively (log-rank, P = .001). After adjustment for covariates including preoperative medications, treatment with SAPT or DAPT plus statin at discharge was associated with lower late mortality compared with noncombination or no therapy (hazard ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.56-0.93; P = .01). Regional variation in CM at discharge following POMI was also observed with a range of 33% to 100% (P = .05). CONCLUSIONS: Within the VQI, regional and procedure-specific variation exists in CM regimen after POMI following vascular surgery. Absence of combined antiplatelet and statin therapy at discharge after POMI was associated with higher late mortality and represents an area for quality improvement in the care of these patients.

Effect of Antithrombotic Therapy and Long Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection Procedure Time on Early and Delayed Postoperative Bleeding.

BACKGROUND: Recent updated guidelines of the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology recommend the use of a single dose of antiplatelet agents in patients undergoing endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). However, the postoperative bleeding risk after gastric ESD associated with the continuation or interruption of antithrombotic therapy remains controversial. We aimed to evaluate whether certain factors including interrupted antithrombotic therapy could affect early and delayed post-ESD bleeding risk. METHODS: Three hundred sixty-four patients with gastric neoplasms were treated with ESD at our hospital between October 2005 and December 2012. Seventy-four patients with interrupted antithrombotic therapy were undertaken with ESD. Early and delayed postoperative bleeding patterns were estimated. Various clinical characteristics such as gender, age, tumor location, tumor size, ESD procedure time, platelet count, and comorbidity were evaluated. RESULTS: There was a significant difference (p = 0.042) in the ESD procedure time between the patients with postoperative bleeding and those without it. There was no significant difference in postoperative bleeding between the patients on antithrombotic therapy and not on it. Moreover, interrupted antithrombotic therapy and platelet count were significantly (p = 0.0461 and p = 0.0059, respectively) associated with early postoperative bleeding in multivariate analysis. In addition, in univariate analysis, ESD procedure time was significantly (p = 0.041) associated with delayed postoperative bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Antithrombotic therapy and prolonged ESD procedure time were significantly associated with early and delayed postoperative bleeding, respectively.

Oral Antiplatelet Therapy in Coronary Disease.

Ischemic heart disease is the major isolated cause of death worldwide, responsible for 7,249,000 deaths in 2008, 12.7% of deaths from any causes. The inhibition of platelet activation and aggregation is an important therapeutic target. Cyclooxygenase inhibitors and thienopyridines are currently the 2 most used pharmacological classes, but novel antiplatelet agents have currently an important role. The most recent thienopyridine, prasugrel, allows an irreversible inhibition of the P2Y12 platelet receptor associated to a faster and more consistent onset of action rather the previous antiplatelet agents of the same class. Cyclopentyl-triazolo-pyrimidines, a newer pharmacological class from which ticagrelor is an example, also act at the P2Y12 platelet receptor, and like prasugrel, ticagrelor inhibits platelet aggregation in a fast and consistent manner, however, in a reversible way. This article aims to conduct a review on the literature about the most recent information and guidelines on oral antiplatelet agents available for the management of coronary disease.

Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation in Patients With and Without Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

In this systemic review we evaluated the efficacy and safety of long duration dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT) (L-DAPT) compared with short duration DAPT (S-DAPT) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in patients who presented with or without acute coronary syndromes (ACS). We identified 8 randomized controlled trials in which 30,975 patients were randomized to S-DAPT versus L-DAPT (12,421 ACS and 18,554 non-ACS). Short duration dual anti-platelet therapy was associated with an increase in target vessel revascularization (TVR) in ACS patients, but the difference was not significant for non-ACS patients (odds ratio [OR] 5.04 [95% CI, 1.28-19.76], and OR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.51-1.55], respectively). The risk of cardiac mortality was not significantly different with S-DAPT and L-DAPT for ACS (OR, 1.69 [95% CI, 0.82-3.50]) and non-ACS patients (OR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.57-1.37]). For all cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and stent thrombosis, most of the events were derived from the DAPT study, thus a meta-analysis was not performed for these end points. Based on our review of the literature, we conclude that S-DAPT was associated with higher rates of stent thrombosis and myocardial infarction, and non-significant differences in all-cause mortality, with no significant interactions according to ACS vs non-ACS. However, in non-ACS patients, the benefit-risk profile favored S-DAPT, with lower all-cause mortality, whereas the trends were reversed in ACS. Additional studies are required to determine if the benefit-risk profile of S-DAPT vs L-DAPT varies according to clinical syndrome.

Clopidogrel use After Myocardial Revascularization: Prevalence, Predictors, and One-Year Survival Rate.

INTRODUCTION: Antiplatelet therapy after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) has been used. Little is known about the predictors and efficacy of clopidogrel in this scenario. OBJECTIVE: Identify predictors of clopidogrel following CABG. METHODS: We evaluated 5404 patients who underwent CABG between 2000 and 2009 at Duke University Medical Center. We excluded patients undergoing concomitant valve surgery, those who had postoperative bleeding or death before discharge. Postoperative clopidogrel was left to the discretion of the attending physician. Adjusted risk for 1-year mortality was compared between patients receiving and not receiving clopidogrel during hospitalization after undergoing CABG. RESULTS: At hospital discharge, 931 (17.2%) patients were receiving clopidogrel. Comparing patients not receiving clopidogrel at discharge, users had more comorbidities, including hyperlipidemia, hypertension, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease and cerebrovascular disease. Patients who received aspirin during hospitalization were less likely to receive clopidogrel at discharge (P≤0.0001). Clopidogrel was associated with similar 1-year mortality compared with those who did not use clopidogrel (4.4% vs. 4.5%, P=0.72). There was, however, an interaction between the use of cardiopulmonary bypass and clopidogrel, with lower 1-year mortality in patients undergoing off-pump CABG who received clopidogrel, but not those undergoing conventional CABG (2.6% vs 5.6%, P Interaction = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Clopidogrel was used in nearly one-fifth of patients after CABG. Its use was not associated with lower mortality after 1 year in general, but lower mortality rate in those undergoing off-pump CABG. Randomized clinical trials are needed to determine the benefit of routine use of clopidogrel in CABG.

Expert position paper on prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy in secondary prevention following myocardial infarction.

The protective effect of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) following acute coronary syndrome is undisputed, but its duration is subject of debate. Several studies show that prolonged therapy provides a clinical benefit in patients following acute coronary syndrome. The aim of this position paper authored by Austrian experts is to outline the current evidence and provide an overview of recent studies. It is also intended to serve as a practical guide to identify those patients who may benefit from prolonged DAPT.