Tailored P2Y₁₂ inhibitor treatment in patients undergoing non-urgent PCI-the POPular Risk Score study

The POPular Risk Score was developed for the selective intensification of P2Y₁₂ inhibitor treatment with prasugrel instead of clopidogrel in patients undergoing non-urgent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation. This score is based on platelet reactivity (VerifyNow P2Y₁₂ assay), CYP2C19 genotyping, and clinical risk factors. Our aim was to determine if the use of this score in clinical practice is associated with a reduction in thrombotic events without increasing bleeding events.

In a single-center prospective cohort study, patients with a high risk score were treated with prasugrel and patients with a low risk score with clopidogrel. The risk score-guided cohort was compared with a historic cohort of clopidogrel-treated patients. The endpoint consisted of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or stent thrombosis during 1 year of follow-up. TIMI major and minor bleeding events were also analyzed.

The guided cohort contained 1127 patients, 26.9% of whom were switched to prasugrel according to the POPular Risk Score. The historic cohort contained 893 patients. The incidence of the combined thrombotic endpoint was significantly lower in the guided cohort as compared with the historic cohort (8.4% versus 3.7%, p < 0.001). This strategy was safe with respect to bleeding (4.0% versus 1.3%, p < 0.001, for TIMI major or minor bleeding). Results were comparable after multivariate and propensity score matched and weighted analysis.

Selective intensification of P2Y₁₂ inhibitor treatment after non-urgent PCI based on the POPular Risk Score is associated with a reduction in thrombotic events without an increase in bleeding events.