A study was recently carried out in Demark comparing twodrug-eluting stents for

A study was recently carried out in Demark comparing twodrug-eluting stents for coronary artery disease (Lancet 375:1090-1099 2010). Stents are used to open the blood flow throughpartially or fully occluded coronary arteries that supply blood tothe heart muscle. (When the vessels occlude and the muscle theysupply dies this is a myocardial infarction or heart attack.)Research over the years have found that stents themselves can alsoocclude although the rate of occlusion is lower when stents arecoated with drugs that inhibit the revascularization of arteries.This recent Danish study compared a new (experimental) agentsirolimus with an existing (control) agent known to reduceocclusion zotarolimus. The primary end-point of the study was acomposite measure of cardiac death myocardial infarction andblood vessel revascularization. Patients were followed for 18months.