Heart disease is America's number one killer, claiming the lives of nearly one million people every year. But now a new drug coated stent can help heart patients live longer without recurring blockages.
A stent is a small metal device used to prop open a coronary artery. Many patients who have stents find that the artery can become clogged again. This clogging is called Restenosis, and as a result 15 to 20 percent of stent patients require repeat treatments.
A new stent is out on a trial basis; it is now coated with a drug to prevent arteries from re-blocking. Cordis Corporation in South Florida developed the Cypher Drug eluting stent expected to get FDA approval next month. Shands Hospital in Jacksonville Florida is the only medical center involved in this trail.
