The results of several large, multicentre trials of antithrombotic therapy were revealed. For example, MASTER DAPT supported the hypothesis that, in those at high risk of bleeding undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention with the latest generation of drug-eluting stents, shortening DAPT to one month then offering antiplatelet monotherapy appears to be safe and reduced bleeding compared to standard-of-care durations. STOPDAPT2-ACS, on the other hand suggested that, in a broader population, we likely can’t push the concept of de-escalating to P2Y12-inhibitor monotherapy shortly after PCI too far if using clopidogrel, which has significant interindividual variability in effect.
There were so many other sessions of relevance to our field to choose from. A notable and lively highlight was the Great debate: To reduce the risk of bleeding after PCI – Shorten DAPT!, which complemented the theme explored by the studies above. The pros and cons of this statement were elegantly argued by Professors Marco Valgimigli and Rob Storey respectively and though forced to ‘take sides’, the session came to a balanced conclusion.
Finally, it was fantastic to see the range of high-quality contributions from Young Thrombosis Researchers. In particular, there were four very impressive finalists for the Young Investigator Award in the Thrombosis, Platelets and Coagulation category. Nicely illustrating the breadth of the field, the presentations covered mechanistic aspects (Luca Liberale from the University of Zurich, Switzerland), clinical imaging techniques (Evangelos Tzolos, University of Edinburgh, UK), novel antithrombotic agents (Fawaz Alenazy, University of Birmingham, UK) and the link between thrombosis and inflammation after COVID-19 infection (Loes Willems, Radboud University Medical Centre, The Netherlands). Special congratulations should be offered to Dr Tzolos, who won the Award.
Our mission: To reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease.