Will Lifelong Medications Change for Patients with Coronary Artery Disease After Stent Procedures?
A research team led by Professors Jooyong Hahn, Youngbin Song, and Kihong Choi from the Department of Cardiology at Samsung Medical Center, alongside Professor Yonghwan Park from the Department of Cardiology at Samsung Changwon Hospital, recently published findings in *The Lancet* (Impact Factor: 98.4), the highest-ranked medical journal, demonstrating that clopidogrel is more effective than aspirin as a long-term antiplatelet therapy for patients at high risk of recurrent cardiovascular events.
Clopidogrel, a lifelong medication prescribed to patients with coronary artery disease who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as stent placement, has been shown to be more effective than aspirin in preventing recurrence of cardiovascular events. This study was recognized as the 'Most Notable Clinical Study' at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Annual Meeting, held in Chicago, USA, on the 30th.
Participants in this study had a history of myocardial infarction, diabetes, or complex coronary artery lesions, placing them at high risk for future ischemic events, including recurrent myocardial infarction. Among the patients who completed antiplatelet therapy, they were stratified into clopidogrel and aspirin groups for follow-up, with no significant difference observed between the two treatment groups. The research team stated, “Clopidogrel demonstrated highly favorable outcomes, reducing ischemic events compared to aspirin without increasing the risk of bleeding.”
Professor Juyong Han, the corresponding author and principal investigator of the study, stated, “In our research, clopidogrel demonstrated superior efficacy compared to aspirin as lifelong maintenance therapy following standard-duration dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT).” He further remarked, “Based on these findings, we anticipate that clopidogrel monotherapy will be considered at least equally effective as aspirin monotherapy in future clinical guidelines, with aspirin remaining the preferred choice for patients at high risk of recurrent ischemic events.”