Warning to Cardiologists About Drug-Eluting Stents

RLF Staff

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physicians must be cautious in how they use drug-eluting stents

A statement warning cardiologists when treating arteries with drug-eluting stents was issued by The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI).

The SCAI supports use of drug-eluting stents, but stated that physicians must be cautious in how they use them. Doctors need to carefully select patients who would benefit from the stents, be cautious when implanting the stents, and require patients to use blood thinners to prevent clots.

Drug-eluting stents have been known to cause blood clots developing after implantation. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology earlier this month reported that patients had 30 to 40 percent less coronary collateral function than patients with bare-metal stents six months after implantation of drug-eluting stents.