Medications alone work as well as surgery for some heart disease patients

Patients with stable ischemic heart disease can avoid stents or bypass surgery

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A doctor views an image of the heart during a coronary angioplasty, during which a tube is inserted into the vessels to clear a blocked artery and possibly place a stent. Some patients with heart disease could avoid this procedure and treat their condition with medical therapy alone, researchers say.

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In their heyday, stents and bypass surgery were the go-to treatment for patients newly diagnosed with heart disease.