All underwent coronary stenting - where narrow tubes are inserted to combat the narrowing of arteries.

BBC: NEWS | Health | Stem cell heart repair 'doubts'

"I'm going to get more aggressive with exercise and use stenting as a last resort, " Ms. Molnar says.

WSJ: Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) - When Achy Legs Are a Warning

The stent uses an alloy designed specifically for coronary stenting, which enables thinner struts and enhanced visibility, the company said.

FORBES: Health Care News: Merck, Boston Scientific

Researchers studied 902 heart attack patients who were given angiograms before the blocked artery was opened with balloon angioplasty or stenting.

BBC: Smoking

To be denied the option of either surgery or stenting is unreasonable.

WSJ: Are Stroke Drugs Better Than Stents?

By knowing in advance if they were stenting a hot plaque, doctors could recommend other options such as bypass surgery or drug treatment, Dr. Muller says.

WSJ: Predicting Who Will Have Heart Attacks

Charles Simonton, chief medical officer of Abbott's vascular division, said that carotid stenting has a similar net outcome in patients to carotid surgery, and therefore should be covered more widely by Medicare.

WSJ: Are Stroke Drugs Better Than Stents?

Researchers found that at one year after the procedures, death rates were about the same for surgery and stents, reflecting the higher risk of mortality from the open-heart procedure itself about 2% for surgery compared with about 1% for stenting.

WSJ: Heart Bypass Surgery May Offer Lower Death Risk Than Angioplasty