Stents coated with a cancer drug sharply reduce the risk that the vessels they widen will narrow again, but only if the drug is released slowly and carefully, a new study suggests.Stents are metal scaffolds that prop open narrowed blood vessels and restore healthy blood flow to the heart. Coating stents with drugs is all the rage among cardiologists, and advocates of the technology claim it prevents re-narrowing and chest symptoms. They argue that while coated stents cost much more than conventional devices, they pay for themselves in the long run by reducing the need for additional procedures to reopen vessels.
