Angioplasty Best Treatment For Silent Ischemia

Swiss study shows asymptomatic patients who receive angioplasty after a heart attack fare better than those on medication only.

Published: July 24, 2007

Months after a heart attack, even if you have no symptoms, your doctor may recommend a percutaneous procedure-one that snakes a balloon and possibly a stent into an artery through a blood vessel from the groin. Angioplasty has proven more effective than simply taking medication to treat ischemia, which is a restriction in blood flow caused by constriction or obstruction of blood vessels, according to a Swiss study published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.