Study questions reliability of angioplasty
Wednesday, March 28th, 2007
Angioplasty is normally considered a boon for patients with heart diseases. However, a new study by the American Cardiology Meeting in the United States has come out raising questions on its reliability, after it was found not saving lives from heart attacks.
Before reaching this conclusion, researches studied a group of almost 2,300 patients with stable heart disease. During this period, all patients were given drugs to lower cholesterol and blood pressure level in order to improve their cardiovascular health.
Finally, these researchers concluded that there were similar rates of deaths, heart attack, stroke and hospitalization among those treated with drugs and those getting an artery-clearing angioplasty. No doubt, patients with angioplasty had slightly better relief from chest pain but that was just temporary.
On the basis of these findings, researchers are believing that in patients with stable heart disease priority should be given to medication than angioplasty. Giving somewhat similar view Bill Boden, chief of cardiology at Buffalo General Hospital said:
The results demonstrate that two treatments are not always better than one.
Image credit: South Coast
Via: ABC