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Article: Drug-coated stents can raise risk of clots.
- Article from:
- Newsday (Melville, NY)
- Article date:
- September 14, 2006
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Newsday. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Delthia Ricks
Sep. 14--Doctors have begun to consider the drawbacks of coated stents, the tiny mesh devices implanted to prop open clogged arteries, in light of emerging studies revealing a risk of blood clots that can lead to heart attacks and strokes. The era of the coated devices, which are known technically as drug-eluting stents, was ushered in amid fanfare just three years ago as doctors anticipated a more effective way of treating coronary artery disease. Drug coatings thwart the encroachment of immune system cells that can cause blood vessel scarring and replugging. Coated stents replaced bare metal ones, which left the patient vulnerable to ...