Background
The optimal duration and net clinical benefit of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) have not been elucidated in real-world situations.
Methods
Using nationwide claims data from 2013 to 2021, we selected patients who underwent TAVR and categorized them into two groups: short- and long-term (≤ 3 and > 3 months, respectively) DAPT group. Propensity score matching was used to balance baseline characteristics. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of net adverse clinical events (NACEs), including all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, any coronary and peripheral revascularization, systemic thromboembolism, and bleeding events, at 1 year. Survival analyses were conducted using Kaplan-Meier estimation and Cox proportional hazards regression.
Results
Patients who met the inclusion criteria (1,695) were selected. Propensity score matching yielded 1,215 pairs of patients: 416 and 799 in the short- and long-term DAPT groups, respectively. In the unmatched cohort, the mean ages were 79.8 ± 6.1 and 79.7 ± 5.8 years for the short- and long-term DAPT groups, respectively. In the matched cohort, the mean ages were 80.6 ± 5.9 and 79.9 ± 5.9 years for the short- and long-term DAPT groups, respectively. Over one year in the unmatched cohort, the NACE incidence was 11.9% and 11.5% in the short- and long-term DAPT groups, respectively (
P
= 0.893). The all-cause mortality rates were 7.4% and 4.7% (
P
= 0.042), composite ischemic event rates were 2.5% and 4.7% (
P
= 0.056), and bleeding event rates were 2.7% and 4.7% (
P
= 0.056) in the short- and long-term groups, respectively. In the matched cohort, the incidence of NACE was 9.6% in the short-term DAPT group and 11.6% in the long-term DAPT group, respectively (
P
= 0.329). The all-cause mortality rates were 6.5% and 4.9% (
P
= 0.298), composite ischemic event rates were 1.4% and 4.5% (
P
= 0.009), and bleeding event rates were 2.2% and 4.4% (
P
= 0.072) in the short- and long-term groups, respectively.
Conclusion
In patients who successfully underwent transfemoral TAVR, the short- and long-term DAPT groups exhibited similar one-year NACE rates. However, patients in the long-term DAPT group experienced more bleeding and ischemic events.
