IMPORTANCE Discontinuing aspirin after short-term dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) was evaluated as a bleeding reduction strategy. However, the strategy of ticagrelor monotherapy has not been exclusively evaluated in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). OBJECTIVE To determine whether switching to ticagrelor monotherapy after 3 months of DAPT reduces net adverse clinical events compared with ticagrelor-based 12-month DAPT in patients with ACS treated with drug-eluting stents. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A randomized multicenter trial was conducted in 3056 patients with ACS treated with drug-eluting stents between August 2015 and October 2018 at 38 centers in South Korea. Follow-up was completed in October 2019. INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive ticagrelor monotherapy (90 mg twice daily) after 3-month DAPT (n = 1527) or ticagrelor-based 12-month DAPT (n = 1529). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was a 1-year net adverse clinical event, defined as a composite of major bleeding and adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, stroke, or target-vessel revascularization). Prespecified secondary outcomes included major bleeding and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events. RESULTS Among 3056 patients who were randomized (mean age, 61 years; 628 women [20%]; 36% ST-elevation myocardial infarction), 2978 patients (97.4%) completed the trial. The primary outcome occurred in 59 patients (3.9%) receiving ticagrelor monotherapy after 3-month DAPT and in 89 patients (5.9%) receiving ticagrelor-based 12-month DAPT (absolute difference, −1.98% [95% CI, −3.50% to −0.45%]; hazard ratio [HR], 0.66 [95% CI, 0.48 to 0.92]; P = .01). Of 10 prespecified secondary outcomes, 8 showed no significant difference. Major bleeding occurred in 1.7% of patients with ticagrelor monotherapy after 3-month DAPT and in 3.0% of patients with ticagrelor-based 12-month DAPT (HR, 0.56 [95% CI, 0.34 to 0.91]; P = .02). The incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events was not significantly different between the ticagrelor monotherapy after 3-month DAPT group (2.3%) vs the ticagrelor-based 12-month DAPT group (3.4%) (HR, 0.69 [95% CI, 0.45 to 1.06]; P = .09). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Among patients with acute coronary syndromes treated with drug-eluting stents, ticagrelor monotherapy after 3 months of dual antiplatelet therapy, compared with ticagrelor-based 12-month dual antiplatelet therapy, resulted in a modest but statistically significant reduction in a composite outcome of major bleeding and cardiovascular events at 1 year. The study population and lower than expected event rates should be considered in interpreting the trial.

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01308281.

Objective To examine the relation between the normal range of serum aminotransferase concentration and mortality from liver disease. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Korea Medical Insurance Corporation study with eight years' follow up. Participants 94 533 men and 47 522 women aged 35-59 years. Main outcome measure Mortality from liver diseases according to death certificate. Results There was a positive association between the aminotransferase concentration, even within normal range (35-40 IU/l), and mortality from liver disease. Compared with the concentration < 20 IU/l, the adjusted relative risks for an aspartate aminotransferase concentration of 20-29 IU/l and 30-39 IU/l were 2.5 (95% confidence interval 2.0 to 3.0) and 8.0 (6.6 to 9.8) in men and 3.3 (1.7 to 6.4) and 18.2 (8.1 to 40.4) in women, respectively, The corresponding risks for alanine aminotransferase were 2.9 (2.4 to 3.5) and 9.5 (7.9 to 11.5) in men and 3.8 (1.9 to 7.7) and 6.6 (1.5 to 25.6) in women, respectively. According to receiver operating characteristic curves the best cut-off values for the prediction of liver disease in men were 31 IU/l for aspartate aminotransferase and 30 IU/l for alanine aminotransferase. Conclusion People with slightly increased aminotransferase activity, but still within the normal range, should be closely observed and further investigated for liver diseases.

E-ZES+3-month DAPT was noninferior to the standard therapy with respect to the occurrence of the primary endpoint. (REal Safety and Efficacy of a 3-month dual antiplatelet Therapy following E-ZES implantation [RESET]; NCT01145079).

Objective. Recent studies have suggested increased cardiovascular disease among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We undertook this study to obtain morphologic evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis in RA patients.Methods. We used high-resolution B-mode ultrasound to compare carotid artery intima-media wall thickness (IMT) between 53 postmenopausal women with RA and 53 controls matched by age, sex, and menopause status. No subject in either group had a history of atherosclerosis or its complications. We investigated the association between IMT and relevant clinical and therapeutic variables, including the impact of low-dose corticosteroid therapy (<10 mg/day prednisolone).Results. The mean ؎ SD IMT of the left and right common carotid arteries in RA patients was significantly greater than that in controls (0.77 ؎ 0.09 mm versus 0.68 ؎ 0.14 mm; P < 0.001). Early RA (duration <1 year) was associated with lesser IMT than was RA of longer duration (0.72 ؎ 0.03 mm versus 0.78 ؎ 0.01 mm; P < 0.04). Prednisolone use was not associated with increased IMT (0.78 ؎ 0.02 mm in nonusers versus 0.76 ؎ 0.01 mm in users; P ‫؍‬ 0.38).Conclusion. Our data indicate that RA patients have an ultrasonic marker of early atherosclerosis consistent with an increased risk for atherosclerosis.

Patients with the Pro12Ala genotype in the PPARgamma2 gene had a better therapeutic response to rosiglitazone than did patients with the Pro12Pro genotype. The genetic variations in the PPARgamma2 gene can affect the response to rosiglitazone treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

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