Comparison of hemorrhage between two stents of percutaneous coronary intervention in elderly patients

AIM To explore the choice of stents by comparing the hemorrhage following drug-eluting stents (DES) or bare-metal stents (BMS) in patients beyond the age of 75. METHODS A total of 360 (196 DES and 164 BMS) consecutive patients undergoing DES or BMS from 2004 to 2006 were included in the study. The subjects took medicine as directed and routine laboratory examinations were conducted during the one-year follow-up. RESULTS No significant difference was found in gender, age or complications between the two groups. Hemorrhage was found in 47 patients with DES but only in 13 with BMS(P<0.01). CONCLUSION DES implantation in patients beyond the age of 75 has a higher rate of hemorrhage.