Does PCI prevent heart attack?
Evidence is unequivocal that PCI is the best therapy for patients who are having large heart attacks characterized by specific electrocardiogram (ECG) changes. However, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) is a generalized disease that affects every blood vessel in the heart. Therefore, treatment of one blockage in a single artery at one instant in time does not prevent other blockages in other arteries at other times. To prevent future heart attacks, it is vital that patients with coronary artery disease take a strict regimen of medications designed for that purpose.
