New research proves drug-coated stents effectively combat death, heart attack and repeat procedures . A recent study done takes a closer look at the
New research proves drug-coated stents effectively combat death, heart attack and repeat procedures . A recent study done takes a closer look at the effects of drug-coated stents on patients.
The study included more than 500 patients with previously untreated blocked arteries who were treated with drug-eluting stents. An additional 450 patients with comparable blockages were treated with bare metal stents.Results of the one-year study show 9.7 percent of patients who received drug-eluting stents had a major adverse cardiac event, compared with 14.8 percent of patients treated with bare metal stents. Only 3.7 percent of patients with drug-eluting stents experienced renarrowing of the treated vessel, a common complication that leads to corrective procedures. However, 10.9 percent of patients with bare metal stents required repeat procedures to correct renarrowing of the artery.
It was found that the reduction of re-interventions -- were similar across very different subgroups of patients. According to researchers ,drug-eluting stents are the next major step in interventional cardiology.
Researchers, say their results “go a long way in re-assuring the practitioner that drug-eluting stents are in fact safe and effective in a wide variety of patients undergoing ‘real world’ angioplasty.”
