A recent study led by researchers at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has investigated the potential benefits of stent implantation in patients experiencing chest pain due to reduced blood flow to the heart, compared to chest pain medications.
Stents are tiny tube-shaped devices that help keep narrowed blood vessels open.
The study indicates that stent implantation can improve chest pain and patients’ exercise capacity, challenging existing guidelines that prioritize chest pain medications for angina relief.
Key Study Details
The study, known as the ORBITA-2 trial, involved 301 participants with an average age of approximately 63 years who suffered from severe chest pain due to knee joint degeneration (osteoarthritis).
Half of the participants received stent implantation, while the other half underwent a placebo procedure.
The trial spanned eight weeks, with patients discontinuing chest pain medication before receiving the treatment. Patients continued taking other medications, including aspirin and statins.
Analysis of the results revealed that more than one-third of patients who received a stent in the ORBITA-2 trial became free of angina symptoms by the end of the trial.
Patients in the stent group were three times more likely to have no angina compared to those who received the placebo procedure.
Additionally, stent recipients were able to exercise for about one minute longer than those in the placebo group, an effect similar to one full dose of chest pain medication.
The study’s findings suggest that stent implantation may be considered evidence-based and potentially effective for some patients with angina. This challenges current guidelines, which prioritize chest pain medications.
The researchers propose that guidelines for stable coronary artery disease may require updating to offer more flexibility in choosing the most appropriate treatment for patients.
The ORBITA-2 trial highlights the potential benefits of stent implantation for patients with angina and reduced blood flow to the heart.
While stents were not effective for all patients, they offered relief to a significant portion of participants, emphasizing the need for a tailored approach to angina treatment.
The study calls for a reevaluation of existing guidelines to provide patients and clinicians with more flexibility in selecting the most suitable treatment option.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about Scientists find a surprising link between alcohol drinking and heart health and findings of Both blood pressure numbers can predict heart disease risk.
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The research findings can be found in New England Journal of Medicine.
