Stents may not be the best treatment for stable coronary artery disease

A meta-analysis of eight previously published clinical trials suggests stent implantation for patients with stable coronary artery disease is not associated with improved outcomes compared with  drug treatment for prevention of death, nonfatal heart attacks, unplanned revascularization or angina (chest pain), according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. While stents, also called percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), reduce death and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI, heart attack) in acute coronary syndrome, its role in treating stable coronary artery disease (CAD) "remains controversial," the authors write in their study background. In CAD, plaques in the blood vessels have become large enough to partial obstruct an artery, causing pain during stress or exertion.