The association of body mass index with long‑term clinical outcomes after ticagrelor monotherapy following abbreviated dual antiplatelet therapy in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a prespecifed sub‑analysis of the GLOBAL LEADERS Trial

Abstract

Background The efficacy of antiplatelet therapies following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may be affected by body mass index (BMI). Methods and results This is a prespecified subgroup analysis of the GLOBAL LEADERS trial, a prospective, multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial in an all-comer population undergoing PCI, comparing the experimental strategy (23-month ticagrelor monotherapy following 1-month dual antiplatelet therapy [DAPT]) with a reference regimen (12-month aspirin monotherapy following 12-month DAPT). A total of 15,968 patients were stratified by baseline BMI with prespecified threshold of 27 kg/m2. Of those, 6973 (43.7%) patients with a BMI < 27 kg/m2 had a higher risk of all-cause mortality at 2 years than those with BMI = 27 kg/m2 (adjusted HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.02-1.49). At 2 years, the rates of the primary endpoint (all-cause mortality or new Q-wave myocardial infarction) were similar between treatment strategies in either BMI group (pinteraction = 0.51). In acute coronary syndrome, however, the experimental strategy was associated with significant reduction of the primary endpoint compared to the reference strategy in patients with BMI < 27 kg/m2 (HR 0.69, 95% CI 0.51-0.94), but not in the ones with BMI = 27 kg/m2 (pinteraction = 0.047). In chronic coronary syndrome, there was no between-group difference in the efficacy and safety of the two antiplatelet strategies. Conclusions Overall, BMI did not influence the treatment effect seen with ticagrelor monotherapy; however, a beneficial effect of ticagrelor monotherapy was seen in ACS patients with BMI < 27 kg/m(2).