The off-label and untested use of drug-coated stents in the treatment of coronary artery blockage is common in U.S. practice, and ischemic complication rates are higher among patients receiving drug-coated stents for off-label indications, according to two studies in the May 9 issue of JAMA.Stents are tiny mesh tubes used to prop open an artery after balloon angioplasty is used to open an obstructed coronary artery. The newer drug-eluting stents are normal metal stents coated with a drug that is known to interfere with the process of restenosis (re-obstruction). Data on the use of drug-eluting stents outside of approved indications in real-world settings are limited, according to background information in the articles. >>> Discuss This Story
