Drug Coated Stents
Drug coated stents have been found to increase the risk of injury or death in heart patients. A study published in the December 2006 issue of the American Journal of Medicine found that blood clotting is four to five times more likely to occur with the newer drug-eluting coronary heart stents than with the older bare metal stents. The increased risk of blood clotting (thrombosis) is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and death. The two FDA-approved drug eluting stents are Johnson & Johnson's Cypher Stent (emited sirolimus) and Boston Scientific's Taxus Stent (emits paclitaxel).
As a result of this study, the researchers have recommended that patients with Johnson & Johnson Cypher stents should take anti-clotting drugs for two to three months following implantation, and those patients with the Boston Scientific Taxus stents should take anti-clotting drugs for six months or more following implantation. Anti-clotting or anti-platelet drugs such as Plavix (clopidogrel) and aspirin are often prescribed after the stent procedure.
At a December 2006 meeting of an FDA advisory panel, drug coated stents were deemed safe for a certain subset of the patient population, but were also associated with a higher risk of blood clots, heart attacks, and death in the majority of patients. The panel recommended that the FDA issue new warnings for doctors and patients to reflect the elevated risk.
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