A study led by researchers at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust suggests that patients with chest pain due to reduced blood flow to the heart may benefit from having a stent implanted instead of relying solely on chest pain medications.
The study, called ORBITA-2 and funded by the NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, found that stents improved chest pain and exercise ability compared to a placebo procedure. The findings, presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2023 and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest a potential update to American and European guidelines for treating angina. Dr. Rasha Al-Lamee, the lead researcher, emphasises that patients and medical teams now have a choice between anti-anginal chest pain medication and stent implantation. However, the study also highlights that stenting may not be effective for all patients, with 59% still experiencing chest pain even after a successful procedure.
This research builds upon previous findings from the ORBITA trial in 2017, which suggested that stents offered no significant additional benefit compared to medication alone. The ORBITA-2 study aimed to address potential confounding factors, such as high levels of chest pain medication, by having patients stop medication before receiving stent implantation or a placebo procedure.