Background
Ticagrelor and
prasugrel are potent P2Y12 inhibitors with superior efficacy compared with
clopidogrel among patients with
ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (
STEMI), though use in recent practice is not well described. In this retrospective study, we assessed trends, predictors, and variation in use of P2Y12 inhibitors in patients with
STEMI in the United States. Methods and Results We identified 169 505
STEMI patients in the
Chest Pain-
Myocardial Infarction Registry from October 2013 through March 2017. We determined national utilization rates of P2Y12 inhibitors at
discharge, patient predictors for each medication, and variation in use between hospitals. In a subset of 9655 Medicare patients ≥65 years old, we compared 1-year adjusted risks of death,
myocardial infarction,
stroke, and
bleeding based on hospital quartile of potent P2Y12 inhibitor use. Rates of
ticagrelor use increased from 18.0% to 44.0%, while rates of
prasugrel and
clopidogrel use decreased from 24.6% to 13.5% and 57.4% to 42.6%, respectively. Prior
percutaneous coronary intervention was the strongest clinical predictor for use of
ticagrelor (adjusted odds ratio, 1.13 [95% CI, 1.09-1.18]) and
prasugrel (adjusted odds ratio, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.21-1.34]) compared with
clopidogrel. Predictors of
clopidogrel use included no insurance, insurance with Medicare or Medicaid, and features associated with higher
bleeding risk. The median hospital usage rate for newer P2Y12 inhibitors was 51.3% (interquartile range, 35.0%-65.9%), with substantial variation between hospitals (adjusted median odds ratio, 2.92 [95% CI, 2.77-3.10]). Among patients ≥65 years old, there were no differences in adjusted 1-year risks of adverse outcomes across hospital quartiles of potent P2Y12 inhibitor use. Conclusions Almost one-half of
STEMI patients by 2017 were discharged on
ticagrelor while far fewer received
prasugrel. Patient characteristics are associated with P2Y12 inhibitor selection, though substantial hospital variation exists. Identifying barriers to use of more potent P2Y12 inhibitors may improve patient-centered decision-making for
STEMI patients.