Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Background: With the advent of newer generation drug eluting stents, the chorus for shortening the duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) is getting louder and louder. Ticagrelor monotherapy after a short course of DAPT has been studied in a few randomized controlled trials with promising results. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the ticagrelor monotherapy with DAPT after short duration DAPT in patients undergoing PCIs.


Methods: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched for RCTs comparing ticagrelor monotherapy to DAPT after PCI and reported the outcomes of Major Adverse Cardiac Events including death, myocardial infarction or stroke (MACE); Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Events including death, myocardial infarction, stroke, stent thrombosis or target vessel revascularization (MACCE); Major bleeding; Death from any cause; CV death; Stent thrombosis and Target vessel revascularization (TVR). Data were extracted from published reports and quality assessment was performed per Cochrane recommendations. Statistical analysis was performed using Review Manager Web (Cochrane Collaboration). Heterogeneity was examined with I²test.


Results: Out of 3208 database results, 5 RCTs with 32,393 patients were included; 16,188 (50%) received Ticagrelor monotherapy. Studies had mean follow-up ranging from 12 months to 24 months. Baseline characteristics are as per Table 1. Safety endpoints of major bleeding (HR 0.50; 95% CI 0.38-0.66; p < 0.0001; I²= 23 %; Figure 1A), was significantly less with ticagrelor monotherapy. Efficacy endpoints of MACE, MACCE, Death from any cause, CV Death, target vessel revascularization (TVR) and stent thrombosis were not significantly different between ticagrelor and DAPT (Figure 1 and 2).

Conclusion: Ticagrelor monotherapy reduces major bleeding as compared to continued DAPT for 12 months after PCI. Major ischemic outcomes were similar in both groups. Ticagrelor monotherapy may be the way forward after short duration of DAPT in patients undergoing PCI.