Efficacy and safety of limus-eluting versus paclitaxel-eluting coronary artery stents in patients with diabetes mellitus: A meta-analysis

Abstract Background/objectives The relative efficacy and safety of limus-eluting stent (LES) versus paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES) in DM patients remain unclear. Methods The PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials electronic databases were searched from January 2001 to December 2013. Clinical trials that performed head-to-head comparisons of LES versus PES implantation in patients with DM were considered for inclusion. Results This meta-analysis included 28 clinical trials involving 23,678 patients: 9953 who underwent sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation, 4209 underwent everolimus-eluting stent (EES) or zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES) implantation, and 9516 underwent PES implantation. The short-term target lesion revascularization (TLR) rate was significantly lower after SES implantation than after PES implantation (3.6% vs 6.3%; odds ratio (OR): 0.659; P =0.014), but there were no significant differences in the rates of target vessel revascularization (TVR), stent thrombosis (ST), myocardial infarction (MI), all-cause mortality, or major adverse cardiac events (MACE). There were no differences in the longer-term rates of TLR, TVR, ST, MI, all-cause mortality, or MACE between SES versus PES. Second-generation LES (EES or ZES) implantation resulted in lower rates of ST (2.1% vs 3.3%; OR: 0.586; P P =0.001), and MACE (8.0% vs 10.3%; OR: 0.796; P =0.007) than PES implantation. Conclusions In patients with DM, short- and longer-term MACE rates were similar after first-generation LES and PES implantation. The second-generation LES may be better than PES implantation in rates of ST, MI, and MACE.