David J. Cohen, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, has just published data and analysis of his outcomes research into treatment of coronary artery disease.
Dr. Cohen was first author of a major study in the New England Journal of Medicine that was just released comparing quality of life after treatment of substantial coronary artery disease by coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to place a drug-eluting stent. The study concluded that
“…both strategies resulted in significant relief
from angina and improvements in overall health
status over the first year of follow-up. At both
6 and 12 months, there was a small but significant
reduction in angina frequency with CABG
as compared with PCI in the overall population.
These symptomatic benefits of CABG were
counterbalanced by the more rapid recovery
and improved short-term health status achieved
with PCI.”
These results are likely to be of great value in determining approaches to therapy of a leading worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality.
Dr. Cohen is Director of Cardiovascular Research at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, Missouri Endowed Professor of Cardiovascular Research, and Professor of Medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine.
The entire article, “Quality of Life after PCI with Drug-Eluting Stents or Coronary-Artery Bypass Surgery,” can be viewed online at http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1001508?query=NC&#t=article.
