Dual antiplatelet therapy in patients with a long coronary artery lesion over 30 mm: Determinants and impact on prognosis

Summary Background The ideal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is under debate. Lesion length is a well-recognized predictor of PCI complexity and long-term outcome. Aim To evaluate the determinants and impact on outcome of long-term DAPT in a retrospective cohort of patients treated for a long coronary lesion. Methods Patients ( n = 460) who underwent PCI for a long lesion (> 30 mm) were divided into two groups according to antiplatelet regimen at 1 year: patients who stopped DAPT before 1 year (single antiplatelet therapy group; n = 168) and patients who continued DAPT for longer than 1 year ( n = 292). Results Mean lesion length was 35.7 ± 7.1 mm. The proportion of patients who continued DAPT after 1 year was 63.5%. The main determinants of long-term DAPT were initial presentation as myocardial infarction and implantation of a drug-eluting stent. Median follow-up was 37.4 (23–51) months after the 1-year period following the index PCI. Long-term DAPT was highly associated with a lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by multivariable analysis and after adjustment for other predictors: hazard ratios 0.11 (95% confidence interval 0.03–0.32) and 0.15 (95% confidence interval 0.04–0.62), respectively. No increase in major bleeding was noted. Conclusion In a contemporary practice, nearly two-thirds of patients who undergo PCI for a long lesion are treated with DAPT for several years. Our results suggest that long-term DAPT is beneficial in this subset of patients identified as being at high risk.