Ten RCTs were included in the review with 32,735 participants. The reported RCTs were trials with at least 1,000 participants. Six trials reviewed percutaneous coronary intervention and 4 trials reviewed acute coronary syndromes.
Odds ratios of death or mycocardial infarction at 30 days range from 0.42 to 0.84 for the drugs in the review.
In patients with the acute coronary syndromes, the odds ratios for death or myocardial infarction at 30 days ranged from 0.70 to 0.89. The pooled OR for all 10 trials was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.73, 0.85) which was statistically significant.
The data for oral agents for chronic GP IIb/IIIa receptor antagonism have not been studied sufficiently and the relative efficacy of the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists remains to be determined.
No increase in intracerebral hemorrhage was observed with GB IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists. Most bleeding occurred in patients who underwent percutaneous intervention. The majority of these patients reported bleeding events involving vascular access puncture sites. Thrombocytopenia occurs infrequently with abciximab and tirofiban. No increase in the incidence of thrombocytopenia was observed in eptifibatide-treated patients compared with those who received placebo.