Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42294768›Full record

SynthesisJournal of the American Heart Association2026

Optimal Antithrombotic Therapy for Peripheral Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Yuriko Hiruma, Atsuyuki Watanabe, Tadao Aikawa, Masao Iwagami, Leandro Slipczuk, Jose Wiley, Alexandros Briasoulis, Eric Secemsky, Roger Laham, Toshiki Kuno

Abstract readSystematic ReviewNetwork Meta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of the American Heart Association, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Yuriko HirumaUnited States Naval Hospital Okinawa Okinawa Japan.ORCID 0009-0008-5934-6651
Atsuyuki WatanabeMount Sinai Morningside and West Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York NY.ORCID 0000-0001-8781-0329
Tadao AikawaDepartment of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine Tokyo Japan.ORCID 0000-0002-1786-0176
Masao IwagamiDepartment of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine London UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7079-0640
Leandro SlipczukDivision of Cardiology Montefiore Health System/Albert Einstein College of Medicine Bronx NY.ORCID 0000-0003-3091-3735
Jose WileySection of Cardiology, Department of Medicine Tulane University New Orleans LA.ORCID 0000-0002-9940-0367
Alexandros BriasoulisSection of Heart Failure and Transplantation, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine University of Iowa Iowa City IA.ORCID 0000-0002-5740-9670
Eric SecemskyRichard A and Susan F Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston MA.ORCID 0000-0003-3861-3163
Roger LahamDivision of Cardiology Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School Boston MA.ORCID 0000-0001-8336-3779
Toshiki KunoDivision of Cardiology Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School Boston MA.ORCID 0000-0002-2487-8366

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe optimal antithrombotic regimen for peripheral artery disease, balancing thromboembolic and bleeding risks, remains uncertain. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of antithrombotic regimens in patients with peripheral artery disease.

methodsWe reviewed randomized controlled trials evaluating antithrombotic therapies for peripheral artery disease, including aspirin, P2Y12 inhibitors, cilostazol, and rivaroxaban. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac events, defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke. The secondary outcomes included major adverse limb events, defined as a composite of acute limb ischemia, revascularization, and amputation. The safety outcome was major bleeding, primarily assessed using the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction criteria. We performed a network meta-analysis to compare antithrombotic regimens.

resultsSeventeen randomized controlled trials involving 44 532 participants were included. Compared with aspirin monotherapy, the following were associated with lower risks of major adverse cardiac events: clopidogrel, 75 mg/d, plus cilostazol, 200 mg/d (hazard ratio [HR], 0.37 [95% CI, 0.20-0.72]), clopidogrel, 75 mg/d, monotherapy (HR, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.67-0.96]), aspirin plus low-dose rivaroxaban, 2.5 mg twice daily (HR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.72-0.92]), and aspirin plus ticagrelor, 60 to 90 mg twice daily (HR, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.69-0.96]). Aspirin plus rivaroxaban or ticagrelor showed a lower risk of major adverse limb events compared with aspirin alone. Rivaroxaban monotherapy, 5 mg twice daily, and aspirin plus rivaroxaban or clopidogrel were associated with a higher risk of major bleeding.

conclusionsClopidogrel plus cilostazol or clopidogrel monotherapy might be a balanced strategy in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Indexed as

Fibrinolytic AgentsPeripheral Arterial DiseasePlatelet Aggregation InhibitorsCilostazolDrug Therapy, CombinationHemorrhageHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicRisk FactorsTreatment OutcomeCilostazolFibrinolytic AgentsPlatelet Aggregation Inhibitorsanticoagulationantiplateletantithrombotic therapycardiovascular diseaseperipheral artery disease

Identifiers

PMID42294768
PMCPMC13323812

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.