Spurred by the need for effective therapies in coronary artery disease (CAD), leading global players in drug eluting stents (DES) have now introduced new DES that are now able to bring down the rate of restenosis. This, according to experts, is being made possible as DES are coated with an anti-proliferative drug, which allows drug elution into the coronary wall for weeks and even months after stent implantation.

US-based medical device company Medtronic is currently producing and marketing the new DES technology named as Resolute Integrity which offers flexibility in the form of sleek and narrow DES to be able to navigate into thinnest of the arteries imparting drug elution for as long as 120 days. Today, DES are available in the market which offer drug elution for 30 days and 60 days to stop tissue growth and hence avert restenosis.

Restenosis means the reoccurrence of "stenosis'', a narrowing of a blood vessel, leading to restricted blood flow. Restenosis usually pertains to an artery or other large blood vessel that has become narrowed, received treatment to clear the blockage and subsequently become re-narrowed. Restenosis is common in vascular surgery, cardiac surgery and angioplasty, all branches of medicine that frequently treat narrowing of blood vessels.

A drug eluting stent (DES) is a peripheral or coronary stent (a scaffold) placed into narrowed, diseased peripheral or coronary arteries that slowly releases a drug to block cell proliferation. This prevents fibrosis that, together with clots (thrombi), could block the stented artery, a process called restenosis.

According to experts, this will bring about revolutionary changes in the treatment of CAD as traditional bare metal stents gets incorporated into the wall of the artery over a period of time and leads to loss of relaxing properties of the artery called as endothelial function.

Besides this, bio-absorbable DES are also poised to gain acceptance over a period of time through its efficacious use in the treatment of CAD. These stents are a welcome change to Interventional Cardiology taking into consideration its usage in maintenance of endothelial function over a long period and use of the implanted site for bypass graft insertion in the future if needed.

Interventional cardiology plays a prominent role in CAD as it can help to avert complications like sudden complete blockage of artery leading to acute heart attack. In these circumstances, a quick angioplasty and stent placement across the site of blocked artery can be life saving. Indications for its use are small to moderate focal lesions in native coronary arteries of certain size, says an expert.

Cardiac disorders can be prevented to a great extent by periodic screening and keeping the baseline profile established. Experts also emphasise that preventive measures remain the cornerstone of maintaining a healthy heart. Regular exercise, proper diet, timely consultation with a cardiologist when a person reaches 40 years to screen for risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels must be done. Good habits like outdoor sports and eating healthy must be inculcated from childhood.