Meta-Analysis of Anticoagulation Therapy for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease.

ABSTRACT Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) remains a major cause of morbidity and future cardiovascular events despite advancement in the surgical interventions and optimal medical therapy. The aim of our study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anticoagulation (AC) therapy for reducing cardiovascular and limb events in patients with PAD. PUBMED, Medline, and Cochrane Library were searched through 2020 for randomized clinical trials comparing major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and risk of major bleeding (MB), between AC and standard of care (SOC) therapy, among patients with PAD. Meta-analysis was performed using weighted pooled absolute risk difference (RD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and fixed effects model for overall and sub-groups of full (FD) and low dose (LD) AC therapies. Amongst 17,684 patients from 7 different studies, the addition of AC to SOC therapy was associated with MACE reduction (RD: -0.022, 95% CI: -0.033 to -0.012, P