Stent Vs. Medication Comparison Outcome for Intracranial Arterial Stenosis

A study reports that the use of balloon-expandable stents in symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis resulted in an increased risk of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) when compared to traditional clopidogrel and aspirin treatments. Researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin/Froedtert Hospital published a detail-intensive study in JAMA that analyzed 112 patients who utilized three specified treatments in order to analyze strokes that occured within thirty days of stent installation, with the purpose of determining if rates were increased compared to the control group. Overall rates of stroke occurrence with a stent was 24.1 percent compared to the 9.4 percent in the traditional treatment group. Overall chances of death or disability were also found to be higher in the stent group. “These findings do not support the use of a balloon-expandable stent for patients with intracranial arterial stenosis,” the authors concluded. To learn more about this study, click here.