Balloon angioplasty.

Hospitals and physicians are being pushed to drop angioplasty  because, while it may seem to make sense, it has had  disappointing medical outcomes and is very expensive.

Studies have shown that  the operation, to open up clogged arteries, doesn’t protect from heart attacks. Evidence-based medicine strikes again!

And so as this Tribune News Service article discusses, there’s been a “quiet revolution in the treatment of coronary heart disease, shifting patients away from angioplasty in favor of medications, exercise and better diets.” It’s part of a wider movement in medicine, pushed hard by payers, away from expensive procedures and toward more use of medication and lifestyle changes.