More on the drug-eluting stent issue!

Visit www.theheart.org (registration is required) for additional information on a proposed standard definition of stent thrombosis. Using this standard definition, "the cumulative incidence of stent thrombosis might be no greater in patients treated with a drug-eluting stent than in those treated with a bare-metal stent." From the article:

"The new ARC protocol should standardize the definition of stent thrombosis and provide consistency in the reporting of future trials, explained Cutlip. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested that the drug-eluting-stent companies use this new definition when they present data at an FDA meeting on stent safety in early December. The proposed ARC definition includes patients with definite/confirmed stent thrombosis, probable stent thrombosis, and possible stent thrombosis."