New Research Dims Hopes: Stents Not As Beneficial

ALICIA CHANG, AP Science Writer:

LOS ANGELES - Bypass surgery remains the best option for heart patients with more than one clogged artery, according to the first big study to compare bypass with drug-coated stents. The new research dims hopes that the less drastic stent procedure would prove to be just as good for people with multiple blockages.

In the study, heart attack and death rates were lower among people who had surgery than those given artery-opening balloon angioplasty and stents _ mesh cylinders oozing drugs to keep vessels from reclogging.