An artery stent often causes more problems than it solves

One last word on the absurdity of widespread artery stenting…

These days, stents are “drug-eluting.” That is, they’re treated with a drug. This is necessary to reduce artery scarring and inflammation.

And what causes the scarring?

Stent insertion.

Outrageous, isn’t it? But the outrage doesn’t end there.

Drug-eluting stents sometimes cause blood clots.

Yes, you read that right. The stent, inserted specifically to reduce risk of blood clots, might actually CAUSE a blood clot!

But your doctor already knows that. That’s why he’ll prescribe a blood thinner like Plavix or Effient.

Unfortunately, all blood-thinning drugs increase bleeding risk. In fact, Effient comes with a black box warning about the risk of death due to “unexplained or excessive bleeding.”

So this “routine” procedure can suddenly become quite dangerous. And in most patients, it appears to provide no real benefit.

No real benefit, that is, unless you’re the one submitting the bill for the procedure.

Sources:
“Stent Safety Concerns Near Boiling Point” Matthew Herper, Forbes, 9/8/06, forbes.com