Huidong Wang, Xin Wang

This study was designed to investigate the efficacy and safety outcomes of ticagrelor in comparison with clopidogrel on a background of aspirin in elderly Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A double-blinded, randomized controlled study was conducted, and 200 patients older than 65 years with the diagnosis of ACS were assigned 1:1 to take ticagrelor or clopidogrel. The course of treatment was required to continue for 12 months. The median age of the whole cohort was 79 years (range: 65-93 years), and females accounted for 32.5% (65 patients). Baseline characteristics and clinical diagnosis had no significant difference between patients taking ticagrelor and clopidogrel; they were also balanced with respect to other treatments (P>0.05 for all). The risk of cardiovascular death was significantly lower in patients taking ticagrelor compared with clopidogrel, as was the risk of myocardial infarction (P<0.05 for all); there was no difference in the risk of stroke (P>0.05). Ticagrelor was more effective than clopidogrel in decreasing the primary efficacy end point (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke, P<0.05). The all-cause mortality was not significantly different between patients taking ticagrelor and clopidogrel (P>0.05). The difference in the risk of bleeding, platelet inhibition and patient outcomes major bleeding (life-threatening bleeding and others), and platelet inhibition and patient outcomes minor bleeding was not evident between patients taking ticagrelor and clopidogrel (P>0.05 for all). The current study in elderly Chinese patients with ACS demonstrated that ticagrelor reduced the primary efficacy end point at no expense of increased bleeding risk compared with clopidogrel, suggesting that ticagrelor is a suitable alternative for use in elderly Chinese patients with ACS.