Abstract Body (Do not enter title and authors here): Background
Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is widely used following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but it can be associated with bleeding events and adverse outcomes during therapy. This study aims to perform a gender-based analysis of the bleeding risk and mortality associated with DAPT following PCI.
Methods
On May 15, 2024, we searched the following databases: PubMed, Embase and Cochrane. Our inclusion criteria included any trial or cohort that performed a gender-based analysis of bleeding and mortality outcomes in patients taking DAPT post-PCI. Our outcomes were all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality, and bleeding risk. Bleeding risk was assessed using the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) classification, and Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) bleeding criteria. We used RevMan with a random-effects model to calculate the effect size, using odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval.
Results
Out of the 1,865 articles searched, only 26 papers were eligible for inclusion and analysis. Nine were randomized controlled trials, and 17 were observational cohorts. The total number of patients was 267,986, of which 203,524 were male and 64,436 were female. There was no significant difference in cardiac mortality between males and females; the OR was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.71-1.08, P=0.22). All-cause mortality was reduced in males compared to females, with an OR of 0.81 (95% CI 0.71-0.92, p=0.002). The BRAC 2-5 classification was less likely in males compared to females, with an OR of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.70-0.94, p=0.005). Similarly, in the BRAC 3-5 classification, there was a significant lower probability of bleeding in male compared to female (OR 0.65, 95% CI: 0.52-0.82, p=0.0002). TIMI major bleeding classification was lower in males compared to females, with an OR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.42-0.88, p = 0.009). This indicates higher rates of major bleeding in females compared to males; and Similar findings were also observed with TIMI minor (OR 0.65, 95% CI: 0.46-0.92, p=0.01).
Conclusions
These findings highlight the disparities in clinical outcomes of dual antiplatelet therapy following PCI. Females had higher rates of significant bleeding events and all-cause mortality compared to males. This underscores the necessity of investigating the underlying mechanisms driving this gap, emphasizing the need for further research in order to understand and address these differences.