OBJECTIVETo compare the impacts of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and medical therapy on mortality in patients with stable coronary artery disease.

METHODSWe searched PubMed,Embase, Cochrane central register of controlled trials, Wanfang data and CNKI to find relevant randomized controlled trials on PCI versus medical therapy for treating patients with stable coronary artery disease, which were reported before December 2013. Publications were selected according to inclusion and exclusion standard. Meta-analyses was performed with the software of STATA 12.0.

RESULTSFive randomized controlled trials and 5 567 patients were enrolled for this analysis. Compared with medical therapy, PCI could not significantly decrease the long-term all-cause mortality (RR = 0.96, 95%CI 0.80-1.15), the cardiac death rate (RR = 1.02, 95%CI 0.77-1.36), the myocardial infarction rate (RR = 1.05, 95%CI 0.89-1.23), the acute coronary syndrome (RR = 0.70, 95%CI 0.27-1.82), the rate of freedom from angina (RR = 1.09, 95%CI 0.98-1.21), and the rate of stroke (RR = 1.27, 95%CI 0.75-2.15).However, the revascularization rate was significantly lower for patients in PCI group (RR = 0.60, 95%CI 0.42-0.86).

CONCLUSIONSLong-term mortality is similar for patients with stable coronary artery disease underwent PCI or medical therapy.