Meta-Analysis Comparing the Safety and Efficacy of Single vs Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Post Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Patients

The relative safety and efficacy of aspirin versus dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT; aspirin+clopidogrel) in patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and did not have a long-term indication for oral anticoagulation remains controversial. Digital databases were searched to identify relevant articles. The major safety end point was bleeding, while the efficacy end points included after-TAVI ischemic and thrombotic events. Data were analyzed using a random effect model to calculate the pooled unadjusted odds ratio (OR) for dichotomous outcomes. Eleven studies comprising 4805 patients (aspirin 2258, DAPT 2547) were included in the quantitative analysis. Patients receiving aspirin-alone had significantly lower odds of all cause bleeding (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.29 to. 057, p <0.00001), major vascular bleeding (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.77, p = 0.001), Valve Academic Research Consortium 2 (VARC-2) major bleeding (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.83 p = 0.008), VARC-2 minor bleeding (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.97, p = 0.04), transfusion requirement (OR 0.39, 95%CI 0.15 to 0.0.98, p = 0.05) and major vascular complications (OR0.41, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.66, p = 0.0002) compared with after-TAVI patients receiving both aspirin and clopidogrel. These was no significant difference in the odds of VARC-2 life threatening bleeding (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.25 to 1.07, p = 0.08), prosthetic valve thrombosis (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.22 to 6.30, p = 0.85), cardiac tamponade (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.20 to 2.98, p = 0.70), conversion to open procedure (OR 1.99, 95 % CI 0.42 to 9.44, p = 0.39), MI (OR 0.79 95% CI 0.38 to 1.64, p = 0.52), transient ischemic attack (TIA) (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.12 to 6.44, p = 0.91), major stroke (OR 0.68 95 % CI 0.43 to 1.08, p = 0.10), disabling stroke (0R 1.01, 95% CI 0.41 to 2.48, p = 0.99), cardiovascular mortality (OR 0.81 95% CI 0.38 to 1.74, p = 0.59) and all-cause mortality (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.16, p = 0.31) between the 2 groups. In conclusion, after-TAVI patients who received aspirin alone had lower bleeding events with no significant differences in mortality and stroke rate compared with those who received DAPT.