Reference: Kandzari DE, Barrer CS, Leon MB, et al. Dual antiplatelet therapy duration and clinical outcomes following treatment with zotarolimus-eluting stents. JACC Cardiovasc Interv 2011; 4: 1119-28.2011; 4: 1119-28.

Patients treated with zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES) suffer no excess late ischemic events if they take dual antiplatelet therapy for 6 months instead of 12 months or longer, according to a study in the October 2011 issue of JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Researchers led by David E. Kandzari, MD, of the Piedmont Heart Institute (Atlanta, GA), looked at 2,032 patients undergoing PCI with ZES in 5 registration trials from Medtronic’s (Santa Rosa, CA) Endeavor program. Of these, 1,414 were identified as event-free and on dual antiplatelet therapy at 6 months. Outcomes were compared in patients based on antiplatelet therapy duration at 6, 12, and 24 months.

Dual antiplatelet therapy compliance was 100% at 6 months, 47.9% at 12 months, 38.5% at 24 months, and 28.8% at 3 years. “In this analysis limited to clinically stable patients undergoing elective percutaneous revascularization with ZES and censored for early (< 6 months) adverse events, late (3 years) safety outcomes were independent of dual antiplatelet therapy treatment durations ranging from 6 months to greater than 2 years,” the researchers conclude.

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