Long-Term Clopidogrel versus Aspirin Monotherapy After Drug-Eluting Stent Implantation: A Nationwide Real-World Comparative Study

The authors aimed to compare the long-term efficacy and safety of clopidogrel versus aspirin monotherapy in patients who underwent drug-eluting stent implantation and remained event-free for three years. In a nationwide cohort study involving 18,168 matched patients, they found no significant differences in the primary composite endpoint of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and major bleeding between the two groups, although clopidogrel was associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction. Overall, both antiplatelet strategies demonstrated comparable outcomes during the chronic maintenance phase over a follow-up of up to 10 years.