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Stents Vs. Medications

Both stents and medication are used to treat the heart disease called angina, which is caused by the narrowing of the arteries around the heart. Angina can cause considerable chest pain. There are two main types of angina, and each responds to somewhat different treatment. Some angina requires a stent, and other kinds can be treated with medication.

  1. Types of Angina

    • Angina is caused by blockages in the arteries leading to the heart. One type is called
      stable angina, and the other is called unstable angina. The first produces chest pain when you are active and your your heart is working harder. Often the pain subsides when you rest. Unstable angina means your chest pain is getting worse or lasting longer and not responding well to medications. Often it is a warning sign of a heart attack.

    Medication Options

    • With stable angina, you may be able to control it with medication in combination with lifestyle and diet. Medications include aspirin, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors and several others. Each of these works in different ways to relax the veins and allow free blood flow. Often your doctor will prescribe two or three of these in combination, depending on what works best for your condition.

    Stent Treatment

    • When angina is unstable, and does not respond well to a medication regime, the next step is to do an angioplasty and insert a stent to keep the blood vessel open and prevent blockages. It is a procedure done at the hospital and is a good angina treatment for blocked arteries since it is far less invasive than open-heart surgery. Some stents are simply bare metal, while others are coated with medications to help keep your artery open, called drug-eluting stents.

    Choosing a Treatment

    • A study issued in 2007 called COURAGE (Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation) trial, found that getting a stent didn't improve patients' chances of preventing a heart attack or dying when they had chronic stable angina. Mayo Clinic recommendations show that pain relief is about the same whether patients have stents implanted or control angina with medication. Determining your treatment will require a thorough discussion with your doctor about the specifics of your condition.

    Stent plus Medication

    • When a stent is implanted, there are medications required as well. Those include anti-clotting medications, as well as aspirin. You may also be given statins, which reduce the cholesterol in your blood in order to prevent further blockage. Patients often start with a course of medication, as well as changes in diet and exercise. Should that not ease the angina symptoms, your doctor may recommend doing angioplasty. Whatever option you choose will require careful monitoring of your heart with your doctor, along with strict adherence to your medication schedule.

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