A prospective interventional registry of short-term dual-antiplatelet treatment after implantation of drug-eluting stents in patients with atrial fibrillation requiring oral anticoagulation therapy

There are limited data regarding the use of antithrombotic therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DES). In this prospective interventional study, we evaluated the feasibility of short-term dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after DES implantation in AF patients treated with oral anticoagulation (OAC). The antithrombotic regimen in the present study was 1-month DAPT, followed by single-antiplatelet therapy with OAC. A total of 285 consecutive patients were enrolled between 2015 and 2017. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.91 ± 1.51. The duration of DAPT was 28.5 ± 11.5 days. At 1-year follow-up, serious bleeding complications, defined as Bleeding Academic Research Consortium type ≥ 2, were observed in 27 patients (9.5%). Multivariate analysis showed that previous history of bleeding episodes ( P = 0.009) and continuation of aspirin ( P = 0.003) were independent predictors for the serious bleeding complications. High ORBIT ( P = 0.008) and PRECISE-DAPT ( P = 0.002) scores were associated with the bleeding complications, and the cut-off values were 5.00 and 49.0, respectively. No definite stent thrombosis occurred in any of the patients. Short-term DAPT is feasible in AF patients treated with OAC after undergoing PCI with DES. The previous history of bleeding episodes and long-term aspirin use were associated with their 1-year serious bleeding events.