Initial results from a nationwide stroke prevention trial suggest aggressive medical management alone may be better for stroke prevention than stenting, according to a Rush University Medical Center news release.
Rush University Medical Center participated in the clinical trial funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
The trial enrolled 451 patients at 50 hospital sites in the United States. Patients in the study were between 30 and 80 years of age and had experienced a recent transient ischemic attack or another type of non-disabling stroke. Patients were split up into two groups: one group underwent aggressive medication therapy and the other group underwent stenting. The medical regimen used in the study included daily blood-thinning medications and aggressive control of blood pressure and cholesterol.
Researchers found that 14.7 percent of patients in the stenting group experienced a stroke or died compared to the 5.8 percent of patients treated with drug therapy alone. New enrollment in the study was halted in April because early data indicated that strokes and deaths occurred more significantly among the stented patients at the 30-day mark compared to a group of study participants who received medical management alone.
All patients that participated in the trial will continue to be followed for two years to determine longer-term effects of both interventions.
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Rush University Medical Center participated in the clinical trial funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
The trial enrolled 451 patients at 50 hospital sites in the United States. Patients in the study were between 30 and 80 years of age and had experienced a recent transient ischemic attack or another type of non-disabling stroke. Patients were split up into two groups: one group underwent aggressive medication therapy and the other group underwent stenting. The medical regimen used in the study included daily blood-thinning medications and aggressive control of blood pressure and cholesterol.
Researchers found that 14.7 percent of patients in the stenting group experienced a stroke or died compared to the 5.8 percent of patients treated with drug therapy alone. New enrollment in the study was halted in April because early data indicated that strokes and deaths occurred more significantly among the stented patients at the 30-day mark compared to a group of study participants who received medical management alone.
All patients that participated in the trial will continue to be followed for two years to determine longer-term effects of both interventions.
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