Ticagrelor or Clopidogrel for Antiplatelet Therapy After Percutaneous Intervention for Acute Coronary Syndrome?

The Platelet Inhibition and Patient Outcomes (PLATO) trial showed that ticagrelor had better outcomes than clopidogrel for avoiding thrombotic complications following acute coronary syndrome. Subsequent trials suggested that the outcomes for the drugs were about the same. The effects of ticagrelor and clopidogrel were examined in a very large observational study performed by Harlan Krumholz, MD, and colleagues, published in the October 27, 2020, issue of JAMA. Dr Krumholz explains how his study was performed and what it showed.