Polymer-free stents for percutaneous coronary intervention in diabetic patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim: To compare the efficacy of polymer-free drug-eluting stents (PF-DES) versus other stents in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions. Materials & methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to identify pertinent randomized controlled trials. The primary end point was the occurrence of target lesion failure. Results: Eight randomized controlled trials were included for a total of 4854 subjects. The PF-DES group experienced a trend in favor of a lower rate of target lesion failure (Incidence rate ratio = 0.91; p = 0.11) and a significantly lower rate of cardiac mortality, as compared with the control group (Incidence rate ratio = 0.82; p = 0.04). However, statistical significance was lost if bare-metal stent patients were excluded and a trend in favor of the PF-DES strategy was reported only for cardiac mortality. Conclusion: PF-DES could be a valuable strategy in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions. Plain language summary: What is this summary about?: Polymer-free drug-eluting stents (PF-DES) are a novel type of coronary stent with potential benefits in terms of chronic coronary inflammation. This is a comprehensive, up-to-date, systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy of PF-DES versus other stents in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. What were the results?: Patients treated with PF-DES experienced similar prognosis, with a trend toward better outcomes, as compared with conventional stents. What do the results mean?: PF-DES could represent a novel and effective strategy for treating coronary artery disease in diabetic patients. Polymer-free drug-eluting stents could be a valuable strategy in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. [GRAPHICS] .