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Drug-eluting stents: Do they increase heart attack risk?

What's a stent?

Stents are usually metal mesh tubes inserted during PCI, a procedure that widens the blocked artery by temporarily inserting and inflating a tiny balloon. Stents help prevent the artery from becoming blocked again (restenosis).

Even with stents, arteries can sometimes become blocked again. Drug-eluting stents can make this less likely to happen.

Stents can be classified into two categories: bare-metal stents and drug-eluting stents.

  • Bare-metal stents have no special coating. They act as scaffolding to prop open blood vessels after they're widened with angioplasty.

    As the artery heals, tissue grows around the stent, holding it in place. However, sometimes an overgrowth of scar tissue in the lining of the artery increases the risk of reblockage.

  • Drug-eluting stents are coated with medication that is slowly released (eluted) to help prevent the growth of scar tissue in the artery lining. This helps the artery remain smooth and open, ensuring good blood flow.

Many people with heart problems have been successfully treated with drug-eluting stents, preventing the need for more-invasive procedures, such as coronary artery bypass surgery. Drug-eluting stents help prevent the recurrence of symptoms, such as chest pain. This also reduces the need for repeat angioplasty procedures, which carry the risk of complications such as heart attack and stroke.