<!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//NLM//DTD JATS (Z39.96) Journal Publishing DTD v1.1 20151215//EN" "JATS-journalpublishing1.dtd">
<article xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" dtd-version="1.1" specific-use="sps-1.9" article-type="editorial" xml:lang="pt">
  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="nlm-ta">Arq Bras Cardiol</journal-id>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">abc</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">Arq. Bras. Cardiol.</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="ppub">0066-782X</issn>
      <issn pub-type="epub">1678-4170</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia - SBC</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id specific-use="scielo-v3" pub-id-type="publisher-id">LwTFsZH37NYqvmcxxFp4GQr</article-id>
      <article-id specific-use="scielo-v2" pub-id-type="publisher-id">S0066-782X2021000200236</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">abc.20200494</article-id>
      <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.36660/abc.20200494</article-id>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Minieditorial</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>H&#225; um F&#244;lego Extra para o Uso de Inibidores da Glicoprote&#237;na IIb/IIIa em Mulheres Diab&#233;ticas Idosas com Infarto do Mioc&#225;rdio com Eleva&#231;&#227;o de ST ou Estamos em uma Situa&#231;&#227;o de Risco?</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">0000-0001-6061-9663</contrib-id>
          <name>
            <surname>Tim&#243;teo</surname>
            <given-names>Ana Teresa</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1">
            <sup>1</sup>
          </xref>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2">
            <sup>2</sup>
          </xref>
        </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <aff id="aff1">
        <label>1</label>
        <institution content-type="orgname">Santa Marta Hospital</institution>
        <institution content-type="orgdiv1">Centro Hospitalar Universit&#225;rio Lisboa Central</institution>
        <addr-line>
          <named-content content-type="city">Lisboa</named-content>
        </addr-line>
        <country country="PT">Portugal</country>
        <institution content-type="original">Santa Marta Hospital, Centro Hospitalar Universit&#225;rio Lisboa Central, Lisboa - Portugal</institution>
      </aff>
      <aff id="aff2">
        <label>2</label>
        <institution content-type="orgname">Universidade Nova de Lisboa</institution>
        <institution content-type="orgdiv1">Faculdade de Ci&#234;ncias M&#233;dicas de Lisboa</institution>
        <addr-line>
          <named-content content-type="city">Lisboa</named-content>
        </addr-line>
        <country country="PT">Portugal</country>
        <institution content-type="original">Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ci&#234;ncias M&#233;dicas de Lisboa, Lisboa - Portugal</institution>
      </aff>
      <author-notes>
        <corresp id="c01"> Correspond&#234;ncia: Ana Teresa Tim&#243;teo &#8226; Servi&#231;o Cardiologia, Hospital Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar Universit&#225;rio Lisboa Central - Rua Santa Marta, 50. 1169-024, Lisboa - Portugal E-mail: <email>ana_timoteo@yahoo.com</email> </corresp>
      </author-notes>
      <pub-date date-type="pub" publication-format="electronic">
        <day>01</day>
        <month>03</month>
        <year>2021</year>
      </pub-date>
      <pub-date date-type="collection" publication-format="electronic">
        <month>02</month>
        <year>2021</year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>116</volume>
      <issue>2</issue>
      <fpage>236</fpage>
      <lpage>237</lpage>
      <permissions>
        <license license-type="open-access" xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" xml:lang="en">
          <license-p> This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. </license-p>
        </license>
      </permissions>
      <kwd-group xml:lang="pt">
        <kwd>Agrega&#231;&#227;o Plaquet&#225;ria</kwd>
        <kwd>Inibidores da Glicoprote&#237;na IIb/IIIa</kwd>
        <kwd>Idoso</kwd>
        <kwd>Mulheres</kwd>
        <kwd>Diabetes Mellitus</kwd>
        <kwd>Infarto do Mioc&#225;rdio</kwd>
        <kwd>Hemorragia</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
      <counts>
        <fig-count count="0"/>
        <table-count count="0"/>
        <equation-count count="0"/>
        <ref-count count="5"/>
        <page-count count="2"/>
      </counts>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
  <body>
    <p>O padr&#227;o de tratamento de pacientes submetidos &#224; interven&#231;&#227;o coron&#225;ria percut&#226;nea (ICP) prim&#225;ria &#233; a terapia antiplaquet&#225;ria dupla (TAPD), com uma combina&#231;&#227;o de aspirina e um inibidor P2Y12.<sup><xref rid="B1" ref-type="bibr">1</xref></sup> Prasugrel e ticagrelor s&#227;o os inibidores P2Y12 preferidos porque t&#234;m in&#237;cio de a&#231;&#227;o mais r&#225;pido, maior pot&#234;ncia e s&#227;o superiores ao clopidogrel em rela&#231;&#227;o aos desfechos cl&#237;nicos.<sup><xref rid="B1" ref-type="bibr">1</xref></sup> Eles devem ser mantidos por 12 meses, a menos que haja contraindica&#231;&#245;es, como risco excessivo de sangramento.<sup><xref rid="B1" ref-type="bibr">1</xref></sup> A escolha do tratamento deve ser uma decis&#227;o equilibrada, considerando os riscos de isquemia e sangramento. A maioria dos estudos que avaliam os inibidores da glicoprote&#237;na (Gp) IIb/ IIIa em pacientes com infarto agudo do mioc&#225;rdio com supradesnivelamento do segmento ST (IAMCSST) tratados com ICP prim&#225;ria s&#227;o anteriores &#224; era do pr&#233;-tratamento oral de rotina com TAPD, particularmente no contexto de uso de inibidores de plaquetas orais potentes. Naquela &#233;poca, eles demonstraram uma redu&#231;&#227;o na incid&#234;ncia de eventos isqu&#234;micos, mas &#224; custa de um aumento consistente de sangramentos maiores.<sup><xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref></sup> Atualmente, n&#227;o h&#225; evid&#234;ncias convincentes de um benef&#237;cio adicional do uso rotineiro de uma estrat&#233;gia de uso de Gp IIb/IIIa em pacientes com ICP prim&#225;ria que recebem tratamento com TAPD, particularmente com ticagrelor.<sup><xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref></sup> O uso de inibidores de Gp IIb/IIIa deve ser considerado como terapia de resgate em caso de evid&#234;ncia angiogr&#225;fica de um grande trombo, fen&#244;menos de <italic>slow </italic>ou <italic>no-reflow</italic>, e outras complica&#231;&#245;es tromb&#243;ticas, embora essa estrat&#233;gia n&#227;o tenha sido abordada em ensaios cl&#237;nicos randomizados.<sup><xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref></sup> Al&#233;m disso, a administra&#231;&#227;o intracoron&#225;ria n&#227;o &#233; superior ao seu uso intravenoso.<sup><xref rid="B3" ref-type="bibr">3</xref></sup></p>
    <p>Pacientes idosos apresentam alto risco de sangramento e outras complica&#231;&#245;es decorrentes de terapias agudas, n&#227;o apenas por causa da idade, mas por apresentarem com maior frequ&#234;ncia disfun&#231;&#227;o renal e mais comorbidades.<sup><xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref></sup> Diabetes tamb&#233;m &#233; uma comorbidade frequente em pacientes com IAMCSST. Pacientes diab&#233;ticos apresentam doen&#231;a ateroscler&#243;tica mais difusa e maior risco de morte e complica&#231;&#245;es, incluindo revasculariza&#231;&#227;o repetida ap&#243;s ICP.<sup><xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref></sup> De fato, pacientes diab&#233;ticos que sofreram infarto do mioc&#225;rdio t&#234;m um pior progn&#243;stico, e a presen&#231;a de diabetes aumenta o risco de qualquer evento cardiovascular, como demonstrado em diversos estudos anteriores de tratamento da s&#237;ndrome coronariana aguda.<sup><xref rid="B1" ref-type="bibr">1</xref>,<xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref>,<xref rid="B4" ref-type="bibr">4</xref></sup> Entretanto, no contexto atual de uso de inibidores P2Y12 orais, n&#227;o h&#225; indica&#231;&#227;o de que a farmacoterapia antitromb&#243;tica deva ser diferente entre pacientes diab&#233;ticos e aqueles sem diabetes submetidos &#224; revasculariza&#231;&#227;o.<sup><xref rid="B1" ref-type="bibr">1</xref>,<xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref></sup></p>
    <p>Na presente edi&#231;&#227;o desta revista, um grupo chin&#234;s investigou o poss&#237;vel benef&#237;cio da terapia antiplaquet&#225;ria tripla (TAPT) com aspirina, ticagrelor e tirofibana, em pacientes diab&#233;ticas idosas, em compara&#231;&#227;o com TAPD.<sup><xref rid="B5" ref-type="bibr">5</xref></sup> Eles estudaram 162 mulheres idosas e diab&#233;ticas separadamente em dois grupos de acordo com o escore CRUSADE. O grupo com menor escore CRUSADE (&lt;30) recebeu TAPT, assim como um grupo controle de 97 pacientes idosos e diab&#233;ticos do sexo masculino, tamb&#233;m com baixo escore CRUSADE. O grupo de pacientes do sexo feminino com pontua&#231;&#227;o CRUSADE alta recebeu apenas TAPD. Em geral, as mulheres apresentaram mais complica&#231;&#245;es isqu&#234;micas e hemorr&#225;gicas. Ao comparar homens e mulheres com escore CRUSADE baixo e que receberam TAPT, apesar do tratamento semelhante, as mulheres apresentaram mais reinfarto, trombose de stent, choque cardiog&#234;nico e mortalidade em 30 dias, mas tamb&#233;m apresentaram mais sangramento moderado e grave. Comparando apenas os grupos femininos, o grupo que recebeu TAPD teve menor recupera&#231;&#227;o em termos de escore TIMI e classifica&#231;&#227;o de perfus&#227;o mioc&#225;rdica pelo escore TIMI ap&#243;s a ICP, mais trombose de stent, choque cardiog&#234;nico e mortalidade em 30 dias, mas menos sangramento moderado / grave. Os autores conclu&#237;ram que a estrat&#233;gia de TAPT em mulheres idosas diab&#233;ticas com IAMCSST apresentou menos eventos cardiovasculares no seguimento de 30 dias, mas apresentou mais complica&#231;&#245;es hemorr&#225;gicas.</p>
    <p>No entanto, algumas observa&#231;&#245;es e limita&#231;&#245;es devem ser destacadas. Em primeiro lugar, a m&#233;dia de idade dos pacientes em cada grupo n&#227;o &#233; de fato equivalente &#224; &#8220;idoso&#8221; como poder&#237;amos defini-la. A m&#233;dia de idade est&#225; em torno de 65 anos em todos os grupos e &#8220;idoso&#8221; foi definido como acima de 60 anos. Por esse motivo, a TAPT foi testada em pacientes relativamente jovens. Assim, as conclus&#245;es n&#227;o podem ser tiradas para pacientes verdadeiramente idosos, os quais podem ser considerados como aqueles com mais de 75 anos de idade. Em segundo lugar, a inclus&#227;o foi realizada durante seis anos e uma m&#233;dia de 43 pacientes/ano foram inclu&#237;dos. Podemos suspeitar que o centro tem um volume moderado, ou a inclus&#227;o n&#227;o foi consecutiva e um n&#250;mero significativo de pacientes n&#227;o foi inclu&#237;do. Por essa raz&#227;o, a amostra &#233; relativamente pequena e o poder estat&#237;stico n&#227;o &#233; adequado. Em terceiro lugar, em estudos com terapias antitromb&#243;ticas, &#233; importante fornecer resultados adicionais, particularmente na forma de desfechos compostos abrangendo eventos isqu&#234;micos e hemorr&#225;gicos, como o Benef&#237;cio Cl&#237;nico L&#237;quido ou Eventos Cl&#237;nicos Adversos L&#237;quidos.</p>
    <p>Esta &#233; a melhor maneira de definir claramente se os benef&#237;cios superam os riscos e problemas de seguran&#231;a. Em quarto lugar, o &#237;ndice de massa corporal (IMC) m&#233;dio &#233; alto, com um IMC m&#233;dio de cerca de 30 em todos os grupos. Podemos supor que pacientes com peso corporal normal ou baixo, um importante fator de risco para sangramento, n&#227;o foram inclu&#237;dos. Finalmente, a an&#225;lise multivari&#225;vel deveria ter sido realizada para confirmar o benef&#237;cio da TAPT sobre a TAPD em pacientes idosas e diab&#233;ticas. H&#225; algumas diferen&#231;as nas caracter&#237;sticas da linha de base que podem ter um impacto significativo no desfecho que deveriam ter sido ajustadas. Apesar de todas as limita&#231;&#245;es apontadas, existem, no entanto, dois pontos importantes que podemos observar com base nos resultados apresentados. Ao contr&#225;rio do que se pensa, n&#227;o observamos diferen&#231;a nos intervalos de tempo em mulheres idosas diab&#233;ticas, quando comparadas aos homens, e a anatomia coronariana tamb&#233;m foi semelhante.</p>
    <p>Em conclus&#227;o, o presente estudo n&#227;o fornece evid&#234;ncias suficientes para alterar a pr&#225;tica cl&#237;nica usual em pacientes idosas diab&#233;ticas com IAMCSST. Muitas perguntas n&#227;o foram respondidas adequadamente e o benef&#237;cio adicional do uso rotineiro de Gp IIb/IIIa juntamente com TAPD potente em ICP prim&#225;ria neste subgrupo de pacientes n&#227;o foi incontestavelmente demonstrado.</p>
  </body>
  <back>
    <ref-list>
      <title>Refer&#234;ncias</title>
      <ref id="B1">
        <label>1</label>
        <mixed-citation>1. Neumann FJ, Sousa-Uva M, Ahlsson A, Allonso F, Banning A, Benedetto U, et al. 2018 ESC /EACTS Guidelines on myocardial revascularization. Eur Heart J. 2019; 40(2): 87-165.</mixed-citation>
        <element-citation publication-type="journal">
          <person-group person-group-type="author">
            <name>
              <surname>Neumann</surname>
              <given-names>FJ</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Sousa-Uva</surname>
              <given-names>M</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Ahlsson</surname>
              <given-names>A</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Allonso</surname>
              <given-names>F</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Banning</surname>
              <given-names>A</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Benedetto</surname>
              <given-names>U</given-names>
            </name>
            <etal>et al</etal>
          </person-group>
          <article-title>2018 ESC /EACTS Guidelines on myocardial revascularization</article-title>
          <source>Eur Heart J</source>
          <year>2019</year>
          <volume>40</volume>
          <issue>2</issue>
          <fpage>87</fpage>
          <lpage>165</lpage>
        </element-citation>
      </ref>
      <ref id="B2">
        <label>2</label>
        <mixed-citation>2. Ibanez B, James S, Agewal S, Antunes M, Ducci C, Bueno H, et al. 2017 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute myocardial infarction in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation. Eur Heart J. 2018;39(2):119-77.</mixed-citation>
        <element-citation publication-type="journal">
          <person-group person-group-type="author">
            <name>
              <surname>Ibanez</surname>
              <given-names>B</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>James</surname>
              <given-names>S</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Agewal</surname>
              <given-names>S</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Antunes</surname>
              <given-names>M</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Ducci</surname>
              <given-names>C</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Bueno</surname>
              <given-names>H</given-names>
            </name>
            <etal>et al</etal>
          </person-group>
          <article-title>2017 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute myocardial infarction in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation</article-title>
          <source>Eur Heart J</source>
          <year>2018</year>
          <volume>39</volume>
          <issue>2</issue>
          <fpage>119</fpage>
          <lpage>177</lpage>
        </element-citation>
      </ref>
      <ref id="B3">
        <label>3</label>
        <mixed-citation>3. Friedlands S, Eisenberg MJ, Shimony A. Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of intracoronary versus intravenous administration of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors during percutaneous coronary interventions for acute coronary syndromes. Am J Cardiol. 2011;108(9):1244-51.</mixed-citation>
        <element-citation publication-type="journal">
          <person-group person-group-type="author">
            <name>
              <surname>Friedlands</surname>
              <given-names>S</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Eisenberg</surname>
              <given-names>MJ</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Shimony</surname>
              <given-names>A</given-names>
            </name>
          </person-group>
          <article-title>Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of intracoronary versus intravenous administration of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors during percutaneous coronary interventions for acute coronary syndromes</article-title>
          <source>Am J Cardiol</source>
          <year>2011</year>
          <volume>108</volume>
          <issue>9</issue>
          <fpage>1244</fpage>
          <lpage>1251</lpage>
        </element-citation>
      </ref>
      <ref id="B4">
        <label>4</label>
        <mixed-citation>4. Haffner SM, Lehto S, Ronnemaa A, Pyorala K, Laakso M, et al. Mortality from coronary heart disease in subjects with type 2 diabetes and in non-diabetic subjects with and without prior myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med. 1998;339(4):229-34.</mixed-citation>
        <element-citation publication-type="journal">
          <person-group person-group-type="author">
            <name>
              <surname>Haffner</surname>
              <given-names>SM</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Lehto</surname>
              <given-names>S</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Ronnemaa</surname>
              <given-names>A</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Pyorala</surname>
              <given-names>K</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Laakso</surname>
              <given-names>M</given-names>
            </name>
            <etal>et al</etal>
          </person-group>
          <article-title>Mortality from coronary heart disease in subjects with type 2 diabetes and in non-diabetic subjects with and without prior myocardial infarction</article-title>
          <source>N Engl J Med</source>
          <year>1998</year>
          <volume>339</volume>
          <issue>4</issue>
          <fpage>229</fpage>
          <lpage>234</lpage>
        </element-citation>
      </ref>
      <ref id="B5">
        <label>5</label>
        <mixed-citation>5. Liu Y, Gao Y, Liu H, Chen Qi, Ji J, Jia K, et al,. Efeitos terap&#234;uticos da tripla antiagrega&#231;&#227;o plaquet&#225;ria em pacientes femininas idosas com diabetes e infarto agudo do mioc&#225;rdio. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2021; 116(2):229-235.</mixed-citation>
        <element-citation publication-type="journal">
          <person-group person-group-type="author">
            <name>
              <surname>Liu</surname>
              <given-names>Y</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Gao</surname>
              <given-names>Y</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Liu</surname>
              <given-names>H</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Qi</surname>
              <given-names>Chen</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Ji</surname>
              <given-names>J</given-names>
            </name>
            <name>
              <surname>Jia</surname>
              <given-names>K</given-names>
            </name>
            <etal>et al</etal>
          </person-group>
          <article-title>Efeitos terap&#234;uticos da tripla antiagrega&#231;&#227;o plaquet&#225;ria em pacientes femininas idosas com diabetes e infarto agudo do mioc&#225;rdio</article-title>
          <source>Arq Bras Cardiol</source>
          <year>2021</year>
          <volume>116</volume>
          <issue>2</issue>
          <fpage>229</fpage>
          <lpage>235</lpage>
        </element-citation>
      </ref>
    </ref-list>
    <fn-group>
      <fn fn-type="other">
        <p>Minieditorial referente ao artigo: Efeitos Terap&#234;uticos da Tripla Antiagrega&#231;&#227;o Plaquet&#225;ria em Pacientes Femininas Idosas com Diabetes e Infarto Agudo do Mioc&#225;rdio</p>
      </fn>
    </fn-group>
  </back>
  <sub-article article-type="translation" id="TRen" xml:lang="en">
    <front-stub>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Short Editorial</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Is There a Second Wind for Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors in Elderly Diabetic Females with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction, or are We on Thin Ice?</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
        <contrib contrib-type="author">
          <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid">0000-0001-6061-9663</contrib-id>
          <name>
            <surname>Tim&#243;teo</surname>
            <given-names>Ana Teresa</given-names>
          </name>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1001">
            <sup>1</sup>
          </xref>
          <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2001">
            <sup>2</sup>
          </xref>
        </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
      <aff id="aff1001">
        <label>1</label>
        <country country="PT">Portugal</country>
        <institution content-type="original">Santa Marta Hospital, Centro Hospitalar Universit&#225;rio Lisboa Central, Lisboa - Portugal</institution>
      </aff>
      <aff id="aff2001">
        <label>2</label>
        <country country="PT">Portugal</country>
        <institution content-type="original">Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ci&#234;ncias M&#233;dicas de Lisboa, Lisboa - Portugal</institution>
      </aff>
      <author-notes>
        <corresp id="c01001"><bold>Mailing Address: Ana Teresa Tim&#243;teo &#8226;</bold> Servi&#231;o Cardiologia, Hospital Santa Marta, Centro Hospitalar Universit&#225;rio Lisboa Central - Rua Santa Marta, 50. 1169-024, Lisboa - Portugal E-mail: ana_timoteo@yahoo.com </corresp>
      </author-notes>
      <kwd-group xml:lang="en">
        <kwd>Platelet Agregation</kwd>
        <kwd>Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors</kwd>
        <kwd>Elderly</kwd>
        <kwd>Women</kwd>
        <kwd>Diabetes Mellitus</kwd>
        <kwd>Myocardial Infarction</kwd>
        <kwd>Hemorrhage</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
    </front-stub>
    <body>
      <p>The standard of care in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is double antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), with a combination of aspirin and a P2Y12 inhibitor.<sup><xref rid="B1" ref-type="bibr">1</xref></sup> Prasugrel and ticagrelor are the preferred P2Y12 inhibitors because they have a more rapid onset of action, greater potency, and are superior to clopidogrel in terms of clinical outcomes.<sup><xref rid="B1" ref-type="bibr">1</xref></sup> They should be maintained over 12 months unless there are contraindications, such as excessive risk of bleeding.<sup><xref rid="B1" ref-type="bibr">1</xref></sup> The choice of treatment should be a balanced decision, considering the ischemic and bleeding risks. Most of the trials evaluating glycoprotein (Gp) IIb/IIIa inhibitors in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with primary PCI pre-date the era of routine oral DAPT pre-treatment, particularly in the setting of potent oral platelet inhibitors. At that time, they demonstrated a reduction in the incidence of ischemic events, but at the expense of a consistent increase in major bleeding.<sup><xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref></sup> Presently, there is no compelling evidence for an additional benefit of the routine use of a Gp IIb/IIIa strategy in primary PCI patients that receive DAPT treatment, particularly with ticagrelor.<sup><xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref></sup> The use of Gp IIb/IIIa inhibitors should be considered for bailout therapy in the event of angiographic evidence of a large thrombus, slow- or no-reflow, and other thrombotic complications, although this strategy has not been addressed in randomized controlled trials.<sup><xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref></sup> Also, intracoronary administration is not superior to its intravenous use.<sup><xref rid="B3" ref-type="bibr">3</xref></sup></p>
      <p>Elderly patients are at high-risk of bleeding and other complications from acute therapies, not only because of their age, but because they have more often renal dysfunction and more co-morbidities.<sup><xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref></sup> Diabetes is also a frequent comorbidity in STEMI patients. Diabetic patients have more diffuse atherosclerotic disease and are at higher risk of death and complications, including repeated revascularization after PCI.<sup><xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref></sup> In fact, diabetic patients who have suffered a myocardial infarction have a worse prognosis, and the presence of diabetes amplifies the risk of any cardiovascular event, as shown in many previous studies of acute coronary syndrome treatment.<sup><xref rid="B1" ref-type="bibr">1</xref>,<xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref>,<xref rid="B4" ref-type="bibr">4</xref></sup> However, in the current context of the use of oral P2Y12 inhibitors, there is no indication that antithrombotic pharmacotherapy should differ between diabetics and patients without diabetes undergoing revascularization.<sup><xref rid="B1" ref-type="bibr">1</xref>,<xref rid="B2" ref-type="bibr">2</xref></sup></p>
      <p>In the present number of this journal, a Chinese group investigated the possible benefit of triple anti-platelet therapy (TAPT) with aspirin, ticagrelor and tirofiban, in elderly female diabetic patients compared to DAPT.<sup><xref rid="B5" ref-type="bibr">5</xref></sup> They studied 162 elderly and diabetic female patients separately in two groups according to the CRUSADE score. The group with a lower CRUSADE score (&lt; 30) received TAPT, as well as a control group of 97 elderly and diabetic males, also with low CRUSADE score. The female group with high CRUSADE score received only DAPT. In general, women had more ischemic and hemorrhagic complications. When comparing males and females with low CRUSADE score and receiving TAPT, despite similar treatment, women had more re-infarction, stent thrombosis, cardiogenic shock and 30-day mortality, but also more moderate and severe bleeding. Comparing only the female groups, the group that received DAPT had less recovery in terms of TIMI grading and TIMI myocardial perfusion grading after PCI, more stent thrombosis, cardiogenic shock and 30-day mortality, but less moderate / severe bleeding. The authors concluded that a TAPT strategy in elderly diabetic women with STEMI showed less cardiovascular events at 30-day follow-up but more hemorrhagic complications.</p>
      <p>However, some remarks and limitations should be highlighted. Firstly, the mean age of the patients in each group is in fact not &#8220;elderly&#8221; as we might define it. Mean age is around 65 years in all groups and &#8220;elderly&#8221; was defined as above 60 years. For that reason, TAPT was tested in relatively young patients. Thus, the conclusions cannot be drawn for truly elderly patients, who might be considered as those above 75 years of age. Secondly, inclusion was performed for six years and an average of 43 patients/ year were included. We can suspect that the centre has a moderate volume, or inclusion was not consecutive, and a significant number of patients were not included. For that reason, the sample is relatively small and statistical power is not adequate. Thirdly, in studies with anti-thrombotic therapies, it is important to provide additional results, particularly in the form of composite outcomes encompassing ischemic and bleeding events, such as Net Clinical Benefit or Net Adverse Clinical Events. This is a better way to clearly define if the benefits outweigh the risks and safety problems. Fourthly, mean body mass index (BMI) is high, with a mean BMI of around 30 in all groups. We can assume that patients with normal or low body weight, an important risk factor for bleeding, were not included. Finally, multivariable analysis should have been performed to confirm the benefit of TAPT over DAPT in elderly and diabetic female patients. There are some differences in baseline characteristics that might have a significant impact on the outcome that should have been adjusted. Despite all the highlighted limitations, there are, however, two important points that we can observe based on the presented results. Contrary to general belief, we did not observe any difference in time delays in elderly diabetic women, when compared to men and coronary anatomy was also similar.</p>
      <p>In conclusion, the present study does not give enough evidence to change the usual clinical practice in STEMI elderly diabetic female patients. Many questions were not properly addressed and the additional benefit of routine use of Gp IIb/IIIa together with potent DAPT in primary PCI in this sub-group of patients was not undoubtedly demonstrated.</p>
    </body>
    <back>
      <fn-group>
        <fn fn-type="other">
          <p>Short Editorial related to the article: Therapeutic Effects of Triple Antiplatelet Therapy in Elderly Female Patients with Diabetes and Acute Myocardial Infarction</p>
        </fn>
      </fn-group>
    </back>
  </sub-article>
</article>
