Clinical trials: bare metal stents versus drug-eluting stents

Abstract

Coronary stent implantation is associated with a significantly reduced restenosis rate compared to balloon angioplasty.1,2 Stents achieve this benefit by eliminating elastic recoil and preventing negative vascular remodeling.3,4 However, in-stent restenosis (ISR) due to neointimal hyperplasia remains a significant problem. During the past decade, numerous systemic pharmacologic and device-based therapies tried have failed to reduce the rate of ISR.5 Recently, the delivery of antiproliferative or immunosuppressive drugs has shown promising results in inhibiting neointimal hyperplasia (Table 7.1).