Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Different Low-Dose Platelet Inhibitors in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease: A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Objective: The optimal low-dose antiplatelet agents in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) had not been determined. The objective of this study was to compare the impact of different low-dose antiplatelet agents on cardiovascular outcomes and bleeding risks in patients with CHD.

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, WanFang Data, and China Biology Medicine. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) enrolling patients with CHD treated with different low-dose platelet aggregation inhibitors were included. The revised Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomized Trials Risk was used to assess risk of bias in RCTs. A Bayesian random network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted, with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) as effect estimates in R 4.2.2 software and Stata 15.0. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Confidence in NMA framework.

Results: Sixteen RCTs involving 6350 patients were included. All participants were treated with a recommended dose of aspirin plus a low or standard dose of P2Y12 receptor antagonist. Low-level evidence indicated the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) was similar among low doses of prasugrel, ticagrelor, standard doses of prasugrel, ticagrelor, and clopidogrel. Low- to moderate-level evidence suggested there was no difference in bleeding risk among low dose of prasugrel, ticagrelor, clopidogrel compared to standard dose of prasugrel, ticagrelor, and clopidogrel. NMA showed that low dose of prasugrel had the highest probability of being the best intervention in terms of MACE, myocardial infarction, and bleeding events leading to discontinuation.

Conclusion: Based on low-level evidence, low dose of prasugrel combined with standard dose of aspirin can be recommended for patients with CHD, low dose of ticagrelor was similar in terms of MACE and bleeding compared with standard dose of P2Y12 receptor antagonist.

The systematic review was registered in PROSPERO with the registration number CRD42023438376.

Keywords

bleeding / coronary heart disease / low-dose / myocardial infarction / network meta-analysis / platelet aggregation inhibitors

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