text_1: Drugs may make stents deadly, study says
text_2: First, this is a review of a story originally reported by the Milwaukee Journal, which was picked up – and shortened – by the Seattle Times. This story presents the results from a recently published study comparing the formation of new collateral blood vessels to provide the heart muscle with blood in patients with bare-metal and drug-coated stents. The study found that people with the drug-coated stents had less formation of these vessels. The implication of this was not clearly presented in the story, but with fewer vessels formed, if vessels become blocked, there is less capacity to provide the heart muscle with blood. So there is increased risk of heart muscle damage and death. The story neglected to present the complete array of treatment options for the management of coronary artery disease and did not provide the reader with information on the guideline criteria for the use of stents. This information is necessary for the reader to understand the interventions available for coronary artery disease and to help them with treatment decisions they may face.