Duration of dual-antiplatelet therapy after stent-assisted coil for unruptured intracranial aneurysm: A nationwide cohort study

Background: Stent-assisted coil (SAC) is increasingly used to treat unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA). However, the optimal duration of dual-antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after SAC insertion remains unknown. Aim: To assess the time-dependent effect of DAPT on the risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic complications after SAC. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study among patients with UIA treated with SAC using the nationwide health claims database in South Korea between 2009 and 2020. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used, which included the use of DAPT as a time-dependent variable. The effect of DAPT was investigated for each period of “within 90 days,” “91 to 180 days,” “181 to 365 days,” and “366 to 730 days” after SAC. The primary outcome was a composite of ischemic stroke and major bleeding in each period within two years after SAC. Results: Of the 15,918 patients, mean age at SAC was 57.6 ± 10.8 years, and 3815 (24.0%) were men. The proportion of patients on DAPT was 79.4% at 90 days, 58.3% at 180 days, and 28.9% at 1 year after SAC. During the 2 years after SAC, the primary composite outcome occurred in 356 patients (2.2%). DAPT significantly reduced the primary composite outcome within 90 days after SAC (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR), 0.44; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.28–0.69; p < 0.001); however, this was not the case after 90 days (all p > 0.05). DAPT reduced ischemic stroke risk within 90 days (aHR, 0.31; 95% CI 0.18–0.54; p < 0.001), and 91 to 180 days after SAC (aHR 0.40; 95% CI 0.18–0.88; p = 0.022); however, after 180 days, DAPT was no longer beneficial. Conclusions: In patients with UIA treated with SAC, 3 months of DAPT was associated with a decreased risk of the composite of ischemic and hemorrhagic complications.