Comparison of the 9-month intra-stent conditions and 2-year clinical outcomes after Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent implantation between 3-month and standard dual antiplatelet therapy.

BACKGROUND: The use of short-duration dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) remains controversial. To investigate efficacy and safety of short-duration DAPT, we performed a detailed comparison of intra-stent conditions by optical coherence tomography (OCT) after second-generation drug-eluting stent implantation with short-term and standard DAPT.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighty-two consecutive patients with stable angina pectoris who received Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stents (R-ZESs; Medtronic Cardiovascular, Santa Rosa, CA, USA) were enrolled. Patients were assigned to 3-month (3M group: 41 patients) and standard (standard group: 41 patients) DAPT. In the 3M group, clopidogrel was discontinued 3 months after stent implantation. In the standard group, DAPT was maintained until follow-up OCT. At 9 months, neointimal proliferation was significantly larger in the 3M group, but there were no significant between-group differences in the proportion of uncovered and malapposed strut. The prevalence of abnormal intra-stent tissue (AIT) at 9 months was equivalent between groups. A multiple regression analysis revealed malapposition at 9 months as the strongest independent predictor of AIT at 9 months, and the prevalence of AIT was not associated with DAPT duration. Over 2 years, cardiac events were equal between groups; however, major bleeding was higher tendency in the standard group than in the 3M group.

CONCLUSION: This OCT study indicated that reducing DAPT's duration may provide acceptable arterial healing in patients with implanted R-ZESs.