Heart stents have been in use to treat chest pains and open blocked arteries in patients. A recent study has reported that the procedure is useless in many of the patients. The study conducted on patients with chest pains showed that the procedure might not be necessary at all. The study conducted at imperial College London, used 200 patients with a blocked artery and severe chest pains. The patients were treated for six weeks with medications to relieve chest pains. Some of the patients had a stent inserted while others underwent a sham procedure. After being tested again after six weeks, both sets of patients had recovered.

This research puts the effectiveness of stents into focus. The use of stents to treat chest pains is no longer necessary; stents should only be recommended to patients with heart attacks. The study confirmed that medications are as effective as stents in treating chest pains. In most cases, patients with chest pains have blocked arteries. Relieving chest pains can be achieved by opening the blood vessels to ensure sufficient flow of blood to the heart. If the heart is starved of blood supply it will result in pain.

Heart stents are insertions used to open blocked arteries and is the most common treatment for chest pain patients. Stents do not cure heart disease since blocked arteries maybe opened today, but blockage may occur in other arteries causing heart attack It is estimated that more than half a million patients undergo the procedure yearly.

Stents are appropriate to patients who have tried medical therapy without recovering. However, many medical experts believe that stenting relieves chest pain. The study is not conclusive as to the patient who should be exempted from the procedure and hence many doctors will continue with stenting until the finding are confirmed with further research.

Work Cited

“‘Unbelievable’: Heart Stents Fail to Ease Chest Pain.” The New York Times, 3 Nov. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/11/02/health/heart-disease-stents.html.