DAPT Trial Touts Longer Dual Antiplatelet Duration

While current guidelines indicate dual antiplatelet therapy is appropriate for up to 12 months, the DAPT trial explored how patients could fare up to 30 months.

“This is considering that [the patients in the trial] were successfully able to tolerate the therapy within the first 12 months,” explains Yekaterina Opsha, PharmD, BCPS-AQ Cardiology, a clinical specialist of cardiovascular medicine at Saint Barnabas Medical Center.

The 10,000 trial participants were divided into groups of prasugrel plus aspirin, clopidogrel plus aspirin, or aspirin alone.

Those taking dual antiplatelet therapy for more than 12 months saw a reduction in risk for stent thrombosis and major adverse cardiovascular events, which met the study’s 2 primary endpoints.

These results suggest prescribers may consider longer duration of dual antiplatelet therapy for their patients.