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After months of alarm over the small but potentially fatal risk of blood clots forming in the coronary arteries of people who have been implanted with drug-coated stents, researchers say they may have discovered why the tiny devices can become deadly.
Drug-coated stents may hinder the heart's natural ability to form tiny collateral blood vessels that can salvage heart muscle by rerouting the blood supply, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
In a study of 120 patients, there was 30% to 40% less collateral blood vessel function in those implanted with the drug-coated stents, compared with bare-metal stents, six months after implantation.
The researchers theorized that this deficit could result in more serious damage to the heart in the event an artery abruptly closed, such as when a clot occurs.
"Our results show that drug-eluting (coated) stents may hamper the heart's ability to salvage its own muscles," senior author Christian Seiler, a professor and physician at University Hospital in Bern, Switzerland, said in a statement. " . . . This could lead to a more severe heart attack."
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Criticism has been leveled at some cardiologists for being too quick to use the devices, especially in off-label circumstances where the devices are implanted for conditions in which clinical trials have not proved their effectiveness and safety.
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