Combined glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor therapy with ticagrelor for patients with acute coronary syndrome

This study was to compare the efficacy and safety of combined glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor (GPI) and ticagrelor versus ticagrelor in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). An observational study was conducted using the Improving Care for Cardiovascular Disease in China-ACS project. Totally, 13,264 patients with ACS and received combination therapy or ticagrelor therapy were analyzed. The primary outcome was the composite of major cardiovascular events (MACE: all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction [MI], stent thrombosis, cardiogenic shock, and ischemic stroke), and secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, MI, stent thrombosis, cardiogenic shock, and ischemic stroke. The multivariable adjusted analysis indicated that combination therapy was associated with an increased risk of major cardiovascular events (MACE) (P = 0.001), any bleeding (P<0.001), and major bleeding (P = 0.005). Moreover, the multivariable adjusted for propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis suggested that combination therapy produced additional risk of MACE (P = 0.014), any bleeding (P<0.001), and major bleeding (P = 0.005). Moreover, PSM analysis suggested that combination therapy was associated with greater risk of stent thrombosis (P = 0.012) and intracranial bleeding (P = 0.020). Combined GPI and ticagrelor therapies did not have any beneficial effects on MACE, stent thrombosis, intracranial bleeding, any bleeding, or major bleeding.