新一代能夠緩慢釋放藥物的支架，在防止瘢痕組織擴大方面比傳統支架更加有效，從而減少了再狹窄、心臟病發作和死亡的發生率。

一項在Cedars-Sinai醫療中心( Los Angeles, CA, USA)進行的心血管干預研究，是少數側重于研究藥物釋放支架對來自下肢靜脈移植物影響的研究之一，這是對心血管醫生而言是很特別的挑戰。含藥支架能夠在局部產生益處，防止在支架部位發生再狹窄，但是在搭橋的其它部位并無益處，而那種情況常常發生。

Michael S. Lee醫生是該研究的第一作者，是Cedars-Sinai的介入心血管醫生，他說舊的靜脈移植物表面“骯臟”。“它們在長軸斷層上更加容易堆積動脈粥樣硬化斑塊，充滿膽固醇碎片和血凝塊。”

隨著時間推移，采自下肢移植到心臟治療阻塞冠狀動脈的靜脈之中，有半數發生病變，需要在該位置上進行再次介入治療，再次開心手術或者氣囊血管擴張植入支架。

這項研究發表在2005年11月的《心血管血管擴張和介入學會期刊》上，該研究發現與傳統支架相比較，含藥支架再狹窄發生率，下降了4倍。

Medicated Stents Reduce Restenosis
 
Newer-generation stents that slowly release medication are far more effective than conventional stents in preventing the overgrowth of scar tissue, thereby reducing the incidence of restenosis, heart attack, and death.

A new study conducted at the cardiovascular intervention center of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center ( Los Angeles, CA, USA) is one of very few to focus on drug-eluting stents for use in vein grafts from the legs, which pose unique challenges for cardiologists. The medicated stents appear to provide localized benefits, preventing restenosis at the site of the stent but not in other parts of the bypass graft, which often occurs.

Michael S. Lee, M.D., the study’s first author and an interventional cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai, said old vein grafts have a “mucky” appearance. “They are more likely to build up atherosclerotic plaque over long sections and to be filled with cholesterol debris and blood clots.”

Over time, half of all veins removed from the legs and attached to the heart to replace clogged coronary artery grafts become diseased to the point of requiring re-intervention, either repeat open-heart surgery or balloon angioplasty with the insertion of a stent.

The study, published in the November 2005 issue of the Journal of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, found that there was a fourfold reduction in the incidence of restenosis with the medicated stents in comparison to conventional stents.