title: Safety and efficacy of biodegradable drug-eluting vs. bare metal stents: a meta-analysis from randomized trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biodegradable polymeric coatings have been proposed as a promising strategy to enhance biocompatibility and improve the delayed healing in the vessel. However, the efficacy and safety of biodegradable polymer drug-eluting stents (BP-DES) vs. bare metal stents (BMS) are unknown. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the outcomes of BP-DES vs. BMS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched for randomized clinical trials, until December 2013, that compared any of approved BP-DES and BMS. Efficacy endpoints were target-vessel revascularization (TVR), target-lesion revascularization (TLR) and in-stent late loss (ISLL). Safety endpoints were death, myocardial infarction (MI), definite stent thrombosis (DST). The meta-analysis included 7 RCTs with 2,409 patients. As compared with BMS, there was a significantly reduced TVR (OR [95% CI] = 0.37 [0.28-0.50]), ISLL (OR [95% CI] = -0.41 [-0.48-0.34]) and TLR (OR [95% CI] = 0.38 [0.27-0.52]) in BP-DES patients. However, there were no difference for safety outcomes between BP-DES and BMS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BP-DES is more effective in reducing ISLL, TVR and TLR, as safe as standard BMS with regard to death, ST and MI. Further large RCTs with long-term follow-up are warranted to better define the relative merits of BP-DES.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Disease Research Center, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Yangguang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: The Evidence Based Medicine and Clinic Epidemiology Center, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Disease Research Center, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaohui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D063566:Biodegradable Plastics / Q000009:adverse effects*; D054855:Drug-Eluting Stents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D063566:Biodegradable Plastics; D008670:Metals