†These authors contributed equally.
Academic Editor: Brian Tomlinson
Background: The most optimal strategy for ST-segment elevation
myocardial infarction (STEMI) between drug-eluting stents (DES) and drug-coated
balloons (DEB) is still unknown. This meta-analysis aims to compare the
short-term outcomes of both methods in patients with STEMI. Methods: We
searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library Databases for
eligible studies with publication data from 2015 to Jan 2022. Four trials with
360 patients were included. The study was conducted by following the guidelines
of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
statements. Results: There were no significant differences in major
adverse cardiac events between DCB and DES during 6 to 12 months of follow-up (RR
1.38, 95% CI: 0.65 to 2.93; p = 0.41). Similar risks of myocardial
infarction (RR 0.48, 95% CI: 0.11 to 2.11, p = 0.33), all causes of
death (RR 1.55, 95% CI: 0.32 to 7.62, p = 0.59), and target lesion
revascularization (RR 1.29, 95% CI: 0.55 to 3.04, p = 0.55) were
observed. The pooled results indicated that DCB was comparable to DES in terms of
late lumen loss with a mean difference (MD) of –0.06 mm with significant
heterogeneity (95% CI: –0.25 to 0.13, p = 0.54, I