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Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Microfluidics in Assessing Platelet Function
Published on: November 8, 2024
Clopidogrel monotherapy in patients with and without on-treatment high platelet reactivity: a SMART-CHOICE substudy
Seung Hun Lee1, Sang Yeub Lee, Woo Jung Chun
1Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Heart Vascular Stroke Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Background:
Although P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy has emerged as a promising alternative for dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), there remains concern regarding the safety of clopidogrel monotherapy.
Aims:
We sought to investigate clinical outcomes of clopidogrel monotherapy in patients with and without on-treatment high platelet reactivity (HPR).
Methods:
In the SMART-CHOICE study, three-month DAPT followed by P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy was compared with 12-month DAPT in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. A platelet function test was performed for 833 patients with clopidogrel-based therapy. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE: a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or stroke) at 12 months.
Results:
Overall, 108 (13.0%) patients had HPR on clopidogrel. Patients with HPR had a significantly higher rate of MACCE than patients without HPR (8.7% vs 1.5%, adjusted HR 3.036, 95% CI: 1.060-8.693, p=0.038). The treatment effect of clopidogrel monotherapy for the 12-month MACCE was not significantly different compared with DAPT among patients with HPR (8.0% vs 9.4%, adjusted HR 0.718, 95% CI: 0.189-2.737, p=0.628) and without HPR (2.2% vs 0.9%, adjusted HR 2.587, 95% CI: 0.684-9.779, p=0.161; adjusted p for interaction=0.170).
Conclusions:
Clopidogrel monotherapy showed treatment effects comparable to DAPT for MACCE in patients with or without HPR. However, HPR was significantly associated with an increased risk of MACCE in clopidogrel-treated patients regardless of maintenance of aspirin.
Clinical Trial Registration:
Comparison Between P2Y12 Antagonist Monotherapy and Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After DES (SMART-CHOICE) (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02079194).
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