Impact of Drug-Eluting Stents on Smaller Heart Vessels Could Add to Risk

IMPACT OF DRUG-ELUTING STENTS ON SMALLER HEART VESSELS COULD ADD TO RISK

A Swiss study published Jan. 2 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that "collateral function" * the functioning of small collateral heart vessels * is more severely impaired in patients implanted with drug-eluting stents than in those implanted with bare-metal stents six months after implantation.

"Considering the protective nature of collateral vessels, this could lead to more serious cardiac events" if sudden heart artery blockage occurs, according to a research team led by Christian Seiler of the University Hospital in Bern, Switzerland.

The findings indicate that patients treated with drug-eluting stents may develop larger blood clots (thromboses) and experience more severe heart attacks as a result than those treated with bare-metal stents, and that drug-eluting stent patients may therefore be at higher risk of death.

The correlation between a diminished functioning of those smaller vessels and more severe blood clots presents another twist in the unfolding saga of drug-eluting stents. A number of recent studies have indicated the devices carry a higher risk of life-threatening clots than bare-metal devices, which led the FDA to convene a panel meeting last month on their safety.