The advent of drug-eluting stents dramatically reduced the restenosis (reclogging) rate associated with bare-metal stents but prompted new concerns about the rare but potentially lethal complication of stent thrombosis (ST). Cardiologists have relied upon dual antiplatelet therapy to prevent ST but there has been considerable uncertainty and controversy about the ideal duration of therapy. The…
Big Study Looks At Length of Drug Treatment After Stent Implantation
November 16, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Prolonged Dual Antiplatelet Therapy May Not Be Necessary For Second-Generation Drug-Eluting Stents
October 31, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The precise duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) following implantation of a drug-eluting stent (DES) has been the subject of considerable controversy. On the one hand, prolonged therapy may help prevent late stent thrombosis, which was particularly evident in first generation DESs. On the other hand, the risk of stent thrombosis may have diminished in…
Studies Examine Less Burdensome Dual Antiplatelet Regimens
September 19, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Two new studies published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology offer hope but not, yet, compelling evidence to support less burdensome requirements for dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation. In the first study, Spanish investigators followed 1,622 consecutive patients who received a drug-eluting stent (DES) for one year. They found…
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