Drug-coated stents, a pending treatment for clogged coronary arteries, is a major advance in patient care, according to the December issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. However, it's not clear whether coated stents are appropriate for all people receiving stents or for all types of blockages.
Stents have been used to prop open clogged arteries since the early 1990s. But about one-third of the time, the arteries become blocked again (restenosis). A study published in September 2002 showed that drug-coated stents reduce the restenosis rate to nine percent.
The coated stents slowly release the drug sirolimus, which reduces inflammation and tissue scarring, both of which can cause restenosis in the artery wall. The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing coated stents. They could be approved and available in early 2003.
Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page, monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today's health and medical news. To subscribe, please call toll-free 800-333-9037, extension 9PR1.
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