Duration of dual antiplatelet treatment in the era of next generation drug-eluting stents

Abstract

Current percutaneous coronary intervention guidelines recommend dual antiplatelets (aspirin 100 mg + clopidogrel 75 mg daily) for at least 12 mo following drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation if patients are not at high risk of bleeding. Several reports have tried to shorten the dual antiplatelet therapy to 3-6 mo, especially following next-generation DES implantation, for cost-effectiveness. However, the clinical results are inconsistent and the data regarding next-generation DESs limited. In this report, recently published important pivotal reports regarding the optimal duration of dual antiplatelets following DES implantation are summarized.