The team behind the multi-center clinical trial, led by Professor Divaka Perera from the School of Cardiovascular Medicine & Sciences say their results provide new evidence which could influenceThere are 2.3 million people living with coronary heart disease in the U.K., and it is a leading cause of heart failure. For people who have severe heart failure due to coronary heart disease, as well as prescribing medication, doctors may insertto open any blocked arteries in the first instance.
Researchers recruited a total of 700 patients from 40 hospitals across the U.K. who had coronary heart disease and severely weakened function of the left ventricle of their heart. All patients received"optimal medical therapy" which included heart failure medication, and, in many cases, pacemakers designed to improve heart function and ICDs. Half of the patients were randomly assigned to also have stents fitted to open-up their narrowed arteries that supply the heart with blood.
While stents were shown not to improve heart function in patients with severe heart failure, the researchers stress that they are still an effective treatment for heart attack patients or people with angina .