Ticagrelor Use in Acute Myocardial Infarction: Insights From the National Cardiovascular Data Registry

Background Ticagrelor is a P2Y 12 receptor inhibitor with superior clinical efficacy compared with clopidogrel. However, it is associated with reduced efficacy when combined with a high‐dose aspirin. Methods and Results Patients in the acute coronary treatment and intervention outcomes network ( ACTION ) Registry‐Get With The Guidelines ( GWTG ) with acute myocardial infarction from October 2013 through December 2014 were included in the study (167 455 patients; 622 sites). We evaluated temporal trends in the prescription of P2Y 12 inhibitors, and identified factors associated with ticagrelor use at discharge. Among patients discharged on ticagrelor and aspirin (21 262 patients), we evaluated the temporal trends and independent factors associated with high‐dose aspirin prescription at discharge. Ticagrelor prescription at discharge increased significantly from 12% to 16.7% ( P P P P P =0.01). Conclusions Our contemporary analysis shows a modest but significant increase in the use of ticagrelor and a high rate of adherence to the use of low‐dose aspirin at discharge.