To prevent restenosis — repeated narrowing of coronary artery even after angioplasty — cardiologists have come up with a medicine to be injected during angioplasty.

Speaking at the Annual Conference of Indian College of Cardiology, Dr S Banai, said: “The intravenous injection, Lyposomal Alendronate, is to be given simultaneously with angioplasty which will stop the inflammatory cells from becoming active and leading to occlusion after the stent is planted.”

“Alendronate is a molecule used world wide for osteoporosis. With a film of lipid, after which the medicine becomes Lyposomal Alendronate, it is directly injected in inflammatory cells,” he explained.

“After the stent is placed in the arteries, the injury caused to the walls of the artery causes the inflammatory cells to rush to the site which causes occlusion,” he said, adding “about 30 per cent of angioplasty cases get blocked within six months.”

“The initial clinical tests had encouraging results and we are trying the drugs on 800 patients in 8 hospitals of Israel,” he said. The results of the tests will come in the next six months.

Dr Banai also spoke about valve replacement through angioplasty — a new technique, which is yet to be introduced in the country.

Valvoplasty is the technique where catheter inserted through arteries from thighs to the heart will use a stronger balloon to push open the damaged valve and place an artificial valve planted on the stent in the opening.

The new valve will be placed on the top of the old damaged valve which will be rendered useless after bursting the balloon, said Dr Banai.

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