{
  "id": 14804982,
  "title": "Drug-coated balloons could offer an alternative to permanent heart stents for some patients",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/drug-coated-balloons-could-offer-an-alternative-to-permanent-heart",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-15T22:30:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-10-drug-coated-balloons-alternative-permanent.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "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.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}