Antiplatelet Strategy for Peripheral Arterial Interventions for Revascularization of Lower Extremities

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is extremely prevalent worldwide and affects over 206 million people. Over 36 million patients with PAD are estimated to be present in the United States. Percutaneous revascularization therapies have evolved dramatically, yet the long-term success of these therapies remains modest and the morbidity and mortality associated with PAD remains high, with up to 30% mortality risk at 5 years. Nearly, 3.2 million endovascular procedures are performed annually. Though, this exceeds interventional procedures performed for coronary artery disease (CAD), the current PAD guidelines are silent regarding the need and optimal duration of antiplatelet therapy (APT) for patients following an endovascular procedure for claudication or critical limb ischemia (CLI). The lack of data and clinical studies is by far the greatest impediment to the formulation of such guideline recommendations critically needed by providers and patients alike, especially given the current limited durability of lower extremity endovascular procedures. The objective of this trial is to evaluate whether clopidogrel 75 mg QD on a background of ASA 75-100 mg/d for clinically indicated duration or for an additional 12 months will lead to an increased rate of primary patency, limb salvage, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic stroke, and survival, in patients receiving endovascular treatment of PAD at end of study treatment. The investigators hypothesize that dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with ASA and clopidogrel administered for an additional 12 months following iliac, femoropopliteal or below the knee endovascular intervention will improve primary patency, limb salvage, freedom from ischemic stroke and survival, in patients with symptomatic PAD. Clinical endpoints will be analyzed in all subjects who are enrolled, regardless of whether the trial treatment administered successfully completed for the desired duration. A subject will be considered enrolled in the trial when he/she is randomized to one of the treatment arms of the study. All endpoints are subject-based unless otherwise specified. The primary endpoint is subject-based of the longer of a 12-month or end of study treatment endpoint of the first occurrence of index limb arterial occlusion, surgical intervention, endovascular intervention, amputation of the affected limb (primary patency and limb salvage), MI, ischemic stroke or death (survival). The secondary endpoints are subject-based on the longer of a 12 month or end of study treatment endpoints that include: (a) the first occurrence of any individual component of the primary endpoint, (b) the first occurrence of the following during follow-up: cardiovascular death, or MI, or ischemic stroke, or any amputation above the ankle and (c) severe bleeding defined according to the Global Utilization of Streptokinase and Tissue plasminogen activator for Occluded coronary arteries (GUSTO) classification. The tertiary endpoint is based on the longer of a 12-month or end of study moderate bleeding according to the GUSTO classification.