Meta-analysis of the effects of drug-coated balloons among patients with small-vessel coronary artery disease

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the clinical value of drug-coated balloons for patients with small-vessel coronary artery disease (SVD). METHODS: A computerized literature search was performed using the databases to conduct a meta-analysis and evaluate the clinical value of drug-coated balloons among patients with SVD. RESULTS: This review enrolling 1545 patients receiving drug-coated balloons and 1010 patients receiving stents (including drug-eluting stents and bare-metal stents). The meta-analysis results showed that the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events among patients with SVD did not significantly differ between the drug-coated balloon group and the stent group within 1 postoperative year (odds ratio = 0.81, P = .5). A subgroup analysis showed that the incidence of myocardial infarction among the drug-coated balloon group was significantly lower than that among the stent group (odds ratio = 0.58, P = .04). Nevertheless, the late lumen loss of the drug-coated balloon group was significantly lower than that of the stent group (mean difference = 0.31, P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Drug-coated balloons can be used to effectively reduce the incidence of myocardial infarction in patients with SVD within 1 year and decrease the extent of late lumen loss without increasing the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events.