Coronary heart disease: surgery is often superfluous

In the case of a disease of the coronary arteries, the blood flow to the heart muscle is reduced, patients surgery often and get a Bypass or a Stent to remove the blockage. A new study by the University of Stanford in California now shows that SURGERY is often unnecessary: With medication and a healthy lifestyle, good results can be similarly achieved.

In patients with stable coronary heart disease who had undergone an Operation, occurred in the first year, about two percent more heart problems than those who received only medical therapy and lifestyle change. This the researchers attributed to the additional risks posed by the OP. In the second year, no differences, and from the fourth year of the heart problems occurred in the patients operated on about two percent less. Over the observation period of seven years, there is no clear advantage for one of the two treatment strategies was revealed.

In the case of chest pain, a surgery has advantages

The only difference was in patients who were afflicted prior to the treatment of breast pain: they were after an OP to 50 per cent pain-free, compared with only 20 percent of patients that changed your life style and medications received.

Open clogged blood vessels due to SURGERY, the best therapy is thus not necessarily a possibility. "For patients with severe but stable heart disease, the do not want to undergo these invasive procedures, these results are very beruhigend", Prof. David Maron, who presented the results at the meeting of the American Heart Association in Philadelphia, said.

The results of this study do not apply but diseases for people with acute heart such as a heart attack. These patients should immediately take appropriate medical care.

ZOU