The latest improvement in treatment for coronary artery disease involves delivering medication directly to the site of the blockage via a drug-coated stent. This technique was reported in the Jan. 16 issue of the AHA journal Circulation to reduce the re-clogging of arteries that is a common problem following angioplasty.

Cardiologists in Brazil applied an immunosuppressant drug to a stent to see if it would reduce the cell overgrowth that can cause narrowing inside the artery. In the 30 patients receiving the experimental treatment, after 4 months, researchers using angiography and 3-D intravascular ultrasound imaging saw only minimal cell growth in the arteries. The observed growth was too low to cause any re-narrowing, according to the researchers.

Further, none of the patients had further heart attacks, developed blood clots, needed repeat procedures, or died. The lead surgeon called the approach "fast, easy and predictable without major side effects." Confirmation of these results will be sought in larger clinical trials.