Study: Neck Stents Present Stroke Risk

Article in the Washington Post — Study: Neck Stents Present Stroke Risk, by Mike Stobbe of the Associated Press:

    An experimental treatment used to clear clogged neck arteries carries a higher-than-expected
    risk of stroke and death, according to a study that was stopped early for safety reasons.

    The study compared the use of stents _ small tubes that prop open blood vessels _ with a
     common surgical procedure for cleaning out blockages in the carotid artery. Deaths and
    strokes were more than twice as common in patients treated with stents, the researchers found.

    The findings conflict with influential earlier research, which found stents to be safer.

BGS