Stents and Angioplasty Reduce Mortality by 50%

Stents were placed in 87% of patients. Those who received stents were younger (61 versus 62 years) and were more likely to be male (33% versus 29%). They were all less likely to have had a history of hypertension and diabetes and to have a creatinine level of 2.5 mg/dl or beyond (0.8% versus 2.0%).

Stent use was associated with a significant reduction in length of stay (5.9 versus 8.1 days), major cardiovascular events (4.1% versus 12%), and in-hospital mortality (3.5% versus 9.3%). After adjustment, stent use was associated with a 50% decrease in the risk of in-hospital mortality compared to balloon angioplasty alone. The researchers noted that although drug-eluting stents were not studied, this should not have affected these short-term findings. The study's findings were published in the April 1, 2006, issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.

"All patients who present with an acute heart attack should receive a stent rather than balloon angioplasty alone, said senior investigator Dr. David L. Brown. "Treatment with a stent reduced the risk of dying in the hospital by 50%.”



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