Additional file 1: Description of Excluded RCTs Excluded Patient Numbe Interventi Trial Inclusion r of Control on Follow Outcomes Reason Up for Pts / Duratio Exclusio Centre n n s Post CABG Saw 2015 Elective 70 / Ticagrelor ASA 81 12 Graft - [29] CABG single 90 bid + mg/d months patency; Published ASA 81 adverse only as mg/d cardiovascul conferenc ar events; e abstract bleeding with no reported outcome events Thopte Elective 74 / Clopidogre ASA 150 3 Graft - 2014 [30] CABG single l 75 + ASA mg/d months patency; Published adverse only as 150 mg/d cardiovascul conferenc ar events; e abstract bleeding with no reported outcome events Wang Off Pump 60 / Clopidogre ASA 100 Hospital Platelet -No 2013 [28, CABG single l 75 + ASA mg/d dischar aggregation reported ge assays events 13d “Cardiac -Only post op) events” short (myocardial term infarction, interventi 31] 100 mg/d (mean heart failure, on and death); follow up bleeding Gao 2009 Elective 197 / Clopidogre Clopidogr 12 Graft -No [24] CABG single l 75 mg/d el 75 months patency; mortality, + ASA 100 mg/d mortality; bleeding bleeding or other mg/d clinical events Mujanovic Elective 20 / Clopidogre ASA 100 3 Graft -No 200 [26] Off Pump single l 150 then mg/d months patency; reported 75 mg/d + mortality; events ASA 100 bleeding. CABG mg/d Kayaciogl Elective 40 / Clopidogre ASA 300 6 Graft -No u 2008 CABG single l 75 mg/d mg/d months patency by reported [25] with + ASA 300 cath in clinical platelets mg/d those with events positive (7/20 stress tests ASA only >450 patients had positive stress test tests and 5/7 had new stenoses) vs 0/20 clopidogr el + ASA Nielsen Elective 29 / Clopidogre ASA 150 2 Thrombo- -No 2007 [27] Off Pump single l 75 mg/d x mg/d months elasto- reported 30d + ASA graphy and clinical 150 mg/d platelet events CABG inhibition studies; clinical outcomes Suwalski Elective 50 / Clopidogre ASA 150 6 Mortality, -Single 2012 [34] Off Pump single l 75 mg/d mg/d months revasc, anti- stroke, platelet bleeding therapy CABG -Abstract only Tetik Elective 50 / Clopidogre ASA 300 6 Platelet -Single 2010 [35] CABG single l 75 mg/d mg/d months aggregation anti- assays, platelet mortality, CV events, therapy bleeding Lim 2004 Elective 54 / Clopidogre ASA 100 [33, 36, CABG single l 75 mg/d or 325 37] 5 days Platelet -Single aggregation anti- mg/d (2 platelet groups) therapy David Elective 62 / Clopidogre Ticlopidin 1999 [32] CABG single l 50, 75, or 100 mg/d 28 days Bleeding -Single e 250 mg time and anti- bid platelet platelet aggregation therapy (3 groups) Rafiq Hypercoa (250) / Clopidogre ASA 75 3 Ongoing 2012 [48] g-ulable single l 75 ng/d + mg/d months NCT Elective ASA 75 CABG mg/d 01046942 Acute Coronary Syndrome Requiring CABG CURREN ACS w/ 25,086 Clopidogre Clopidogr T-OASIS EKG or / l 600 then el 300 7 2010 enzymes multipl 150 mg/d x then 75 [44] planned e 6d then 75 mg/d interventi PCI (CABG mg/d (also (also on and n=~200 300-325 vs 300-325 0 [8%]) 30 days Mortality, -Only MI, stroke, short bleeding term follow up 75-100 vs 75- mg/d ASA 100 mg/d -no post random- ASA CABG ization) random- interventi ization) on -no separate data for CABG subgroup JUMBO- Elective 904 / Prasugrel Clopidogr TIMI 26 or urgent 80 40-60 then 2005; PCI 30 days Bleeding, -Only el 300 mortality, short 7.5-15 then 75 MI, stroke term Phase 2 mg/d + mg/d + interventi [42] ASA ASA on and follow up -no separate data for CABG subgroup DISPERS NSTE- 990 / Ticagrelor Clopidogr 12 Bleeding, -no E-2 2007; ACS 152 90-180 mg el 300 weeks mortality, separate Phase 2 (CABG bid + ASA then 75 MI, stroke data for [39] n=84) Prior CABG ASA subgroup 1133 Ticagrelor Clopidogr 360 Mortality, -no CABG (of 180 then el 300- days MI, stroke, CABG (median 18,613) 90 mg bid 600 then bleeding during 9y) 2013, / 862 75 mg/d study + ASA period PLATO Substudy [46] ACS mg/d + + ASA Prior Recent 1480 Clopidogre ASA 325 1.6 Mortality, -Only CABG MI or (of l 75 mg/d mg/d years MI, stroke, single 2001, CVA, or 19,185) (mean) bleeding anti- CAPRIE PVD / 384 platelet Substudy therapy [45] -no CABG during study period TRILOGY ACS 9326 / Prasugrel Clopidogr 14.8 Mortality, -no ACS 2012 without multipl 30 then 5- el 300 months MI, stroke, separate [41] planned e 10 mg/d + then 75 (median bleeding data for ASA mg/d + ) revasc. CABG ASA subgroup CHARISM CV 15,603 Clopidogre ASA 75- 28 Mortality, -no A 2006 disease / 768 l 75 mg/d 162 mg/d months MI, stroke, separate [38] or + ASA 75- (median bleeding data for multiple 162 mg/d ) CABG risk subgroup factors CABG STEMI 136 Clopidogre ASA 150- Subgroup treated (3491) l 300 then 325 then 30 days Mortality, -median MI, stroke, clopidogr with CLARITYTIMI 28 / 319 75 mg/d + 75-162 fibrinolysi ASA 150- mg/d s 325 then 4d (prior 75-162 to mg/d CABG); 2007 [43] bleeding el treatment only 8/136 patients resumed post CABG COMMIT AMI (93% 45,852 Clopidogre ASA 162 2005 [40] STEMI) / 1250 l 75 mg/d mg/d without + ASA 162 planned mg/d 28 days Mortality, -no MI, stroke, separate bleeding data for CABG PCI subgroup TRACER NSTE- 1312 2012 [47] ACS (12,944 (PAR-1 ) / 818 Voraxapar antagonist) Clopidogr el + ASA 1 year Mortality, -triple MI, stroke, anti- bleeding platelet + therapy clopidogrel with non- + ASA P2Y12 antagonis t