Procedures and even some drug trials once thought too
risky for people aged 80 or higher are safer than previously thought, according
to a new study.
Researchers compared the after-effects of angioplasty,
arterial stents and diagnostic arteriography on a group of people 80 years and
older, with a group between the ages of 50 and 79. In both groups,
complications were minimal and none of the elderly people required
hospitalization. Traditionally, elderly patients have been kept overnight in
hospitals for observation for all three procedures.
The purpose of the study was to show that age alone is
not a risk factor, one researcher said. Still, researchers and experts warn that
each case must be taken on an individual basis. Findings of the report were
presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology on
Tuesday.