Improved clinical outcome with biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents compared to durable polymer drug-eluting stents for primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Background Studies comparing the clinical outcomes of second-generation biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (BP-DES) and second-generation durable polymer drug-eluting stents (DP-DES) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with follow-up duration of more than 1 year are still limited. Objective This study aimed to compare the 2-year clinical outcome of BP-DES with second-generation DP-DES in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). Methods This is a retrospective cohort study in patients with STEMI, the primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as recurrent myocardial infarction, total repeat revascularisation and cardiac death. The secondary endpoint was stent thrombosis (ST) defined as definite, probable or possible. Results A total of 400 patients were analysed (197 BP-DES groups and 203 DP-DES groups). BP-DES were independently associated with lower incidence of MACE (adjusted HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.91, p=0.005) and ST (adjusted HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.73, p<0.016) within 2 years of follow-up. Subgroup analysis of MACE individual components showed that BP-DES were associated with lower cardiac deaths (HR 0.35; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.94; p<0.001) compared to DP-DES, but not recurrent myocardial infarction and total repeat revascularisation. Conclusions BP-DES were associated with better clinical outcomes compared to second-generation DP-DES in patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI.