[Angioplasty stenting with Sirolimus (rapamycin) eluting stents in type 2 diabetic patients]

Drug-eluting stents have been developed to reduce the rates of restenosis after coronary angioplasty. Several studies have demonstrated that rapamycin eluting stents are reliable and effective.

To report the experience in our Health Centre with rapamycin-eluting stents.

Forty two stents with rapamicine were implanted to 32 diabetic patients, between June 2002 and December 2004. After the procedure, subjects were clinically followed-up for an average period of 19.9+/-9.9 months, evaluating functional capacity, angina pectoris, dyspnea, need for hospital admission, acute coronary events and cardiac death. In those subjects clinically suspected to have restenosis, a coronary angiography was performed.

Twenty-nine subjects (90.6%) remained asymptomatic, two subjects (6.3%) developed angina pectoris but restenosis was ruled out, and one subject (3.1%) died.

The use of rapamycin-eluting stents in these patients was safe and successful with no evidence of clinic restenosis. These positive results are similar to those reported in the Diabetes Study.