Drug-coated balloons could offer an alternative to permanent heart stents for some patients
Thousands of heart patients could be treated without having a metal stent permanently implanted in their arteries—according to research from the University of East Anglia (UEA). A major analysis of more than 7,800 patients found that a newer treatment using drug-coated balloons performed just as well as conventional stents at preventing heart attacks and cardiovascular deaths.
Researchers from the University of East Anglia examined data from over 7,800 patients with coronary artery disease to compare the effectiveness of drug-coated balloons versus conventional stents in treating blocked arteries. The study found that both treatments yielded similar results in preventing heart attacks and cardiovascular deaths, suggesting drug-coated balloons could potentially serve as a safer alternative to permanent stents.
However, the research also noted that patients treated with drug-coated balloons might be more likely to require repeat procedures in larger arteries, though this finding was influenced by a single clinical trial. The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, calls for larger clinical trials with longer follow-up periods to confirm the efficacy of drug-coated balloon treatment in more complex cases.
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