(Bloomberg) -- Bypass surgery and stents aren’t more effective than drug treatment in preventing heart attacks, according to a study released Saturday at the American Heart Association’s annual scientific conference.
The study, called Ischemia, isn’t the first to suggest bypass surgery and stents are overused. But it’s the largest, with more than 5,000 people, and includes today’s drug therapy as an alternative.
The standard treatment for tens of thousands of heart disease patients with blocked coronary arteries is to redirect blood around a blockage with surgery or to implant medical tubes called stents.
For example, after Bernie Sanders experienced chest discomfort last month at an event in Las Vegas, doctors found a blockage and inserted two stents in his chest.
Judith Hochman, senior associate dean of clinical sciences at NYU Langone Health, was the chair of the study, which also included researchers from Stanford University.
“Based on our results, we recommend that all patients take medications proven to reduce the risk of a heart attack, be physically active, eat a healthy diet, and quit smoking,” said co-chair David Maron, director of Preventive Cardiology and the Stanford Prevention Research Center at Stanford University.
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