Cardiovascular safety of proton pump inhibitors in post-percutaneous coronary intervention patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy: A meta-analysis

Core Tip

Core Tip: This meta-analysis provides a robust, clinically relevant evaluation of proton pump inhibitor use in patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy after percutaneous coronary intervention by integrating evidence from both randomized trials and real-world observational studies. Importantly, it demonstrates that concerns regarding impaired antiplatelet efficacy do not translate into increased risks of acute coronary syndrome, mortality, stent thrombosis, or stroke in randomized data, suggesting that adverse signals seen in observational studies likely reflect residual confounding rather than true harm. These findings shift the focus from theoretical drug-drug interactions to patient-centered clinical outcomes and support the safe, guideline-concordant use of PPIs for gastrointestinal protection in appropriately selected post-percutaneous coronary intervention patients.