Stents Intended to Prevent Strokes May Actually Increase Their Likelihood

mironos/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — One American dies from a stroke every four minutes on average, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Doctors often place what is known as a stent in the narrowed arteries in the brain to prop them open, with the idea that they will help prevent repeat strokes.

However, a new study by researchers from Wisconsin published in JAMA shows that placing stents in patients with strokes may actually increase the risk of future strokes.

The researchers compared outcomes of stroke patients who either received only blood-thinning medications or a stent plus blood-thinning medications.

The study had to be stopped early, as 24.1 percent of the stent group suffered a repeat stroke, and 8.6 percent of the stent group suffered a brain bleed within 30 days, according to researchers.

The authors suggest that for now, medical therapy using blood-thinning medications seems like a relatively safer choice in managing patients with strokes.

Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright © 2015, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.