Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here):
Background:
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the preferred revascularization strategy for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Drug-eluting stents (DES) are linked to higher risks of stent restenosis and stent thrombosis when implanted for AMI. Drug-coated balloons (DCB) provide a high concentration of anti-proliferative drugs over the target lesion without using the polymeric stent structures. The current literature comparing DCB to DES for AMI PCI is limited.

Methods:
A systematic literature search was performed on the major electronic databases for studies comparing DCB to DES for AMI PCI. Mean difference (MD) and odds ratio (OR) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals were pooled using a random-effects model, and a p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:
A total of 8 studies with 1401 AMI patients were included (545: DCB and 856: DES). The pooled analysis demonstrated that DCB was associated with significantly lower mean lumen diameter on follow-up [MD: -0.26; 95% CI: -0.47, -0.05; p=0.02] compared to DES. However, there was no statistically significant difference in mean in-stent late lumen loss [MD: 0.07; 95% CI: -0.03, 0.18], cardiovascular mortality [OR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.35, 2.34], all-cause mortality [OR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.25, 2.63], myocardial infarction [OR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.36, 2.45], major adverse cardiovascular events [OR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.47, 2.00], target lesion revascularization [OR: 1.59; 95% CI: 0.52, 4.87], and stent thrombosis [OR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.05, 4.94].

Conclusion:
In patients with AMI, PCI using DCB leads to a significant reduction in the minimum lumen diameter on follow-up compared to DES. No statistically significant difference was noted in mean in-stent late lumen loss, cardiovascular mortality, all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, major adverse cardiovascular events, target vessel revascularization, and stent thrombosis. Further trials are warranted to confirm these findings.