Ten RCTs (5,066 participants) were included. Of these, six used paclitaxel-eluting stents and four used sirolimus-eluting stents.
There was no significant heterogeneity between the studies for any of the outcomes.
There were no significant differences between the two treatment groups for mortality (RD 0.12%, 95% CI: -0.34, 0.58, P=0.60), myocardial infarction (RD 0.04%, 95% CI: -0.72, 0.81, P=0.91), Q-wave myocardial infarction (RD 0.36%, 95% CI: -0.04, 0.77, P=0.08), non-Q-wave myocardial infarction (RD -0.26%, 95% CI: -0.93, 0.43, P=0.46) or thrombosis (RD 0.29%, 95% CI: -0.08, 0.66, P=0.13).
The subgroup analyses showed no clear differences in these results when paclitaxel and sirolimus trials, and polymer and non-polymer coated stents, were analysed separately.