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DRUG ELUTING STENTS
Drug eluting stents (DES) have been linked to heart attacks and strokes.
DES, also known as medicated or drug-coated stents, are coated in medicines that are intended to prevent restenosis (reblocking
of the artery).
Stents were originally developed to open arteries that were clogged with plaque. Angioplasty was developed, a treatment whereby doctors inserted tiny balloons into the clogged arteries. Unfortunately in about 50 percent of the cases, the arteries closed again.
Doctors then tried putting a tiny wire mesh cylinder, called a stent, around the balloon to help hold the artery open. Although this helped in some cases, about 20-30% of patients had cells grow over the stent and re-close the artery.
The next idea was to coat the stents with a drug that prevented cell growth. Although these drug eluting stents (DES) cut the restenosis rate to about 5%, a new problem developed. Pieces of the stent would stick out of the artery, as cells would not grow to cover them. This created a perfect place for a blood clot to form and potentially cause a heart attack or stroke.
Blood clots can occur up to thirty days after the heart stent is implanted, and it is estimated that about 2,000 Americans die each year due to complications after drug eluting stents are implanted.
Boston Scientific (Taxus stent) and Cordis, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson (Cypher stent) manufacture drug eluting stents. About 88% of all stents sold in the US in 2005 were drug eluting stents.
Other side effects include thrombosis, severe allergic reactions, and need for long-term antiplatelet medication to prevent thrombosis.
DRUG ELUTING STENT NEWS
Concerns over whether the use of drug-eluting stents leads to increased heart attacks have hurt sales of Boston Scientific's flagship Taxus stent. (Feb-05-07) MOTLEY FOOL: DRUG COATED STENTS
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