Stent System Approved to Reduce Stroke Risk
Props open neck arteries


FRIDAY, Sept. 16 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has
given Abbott Laboratories approval to sell a stent and filter system that
reduces stroke risk in people with narrowed neck arteries, The New York Times
reported.

This system includes a metal mesh stent that props open the neck artery and a
filter that traps loose bits of fat or blood clots before they can reach the
small blood vessels in the brain. If those small blood vessels are blocked by
fat or blood clots, circulation can be cut off and lead to a stroke.

A neck stent and filter system developed by Guidant Corp. received FDA approval
last year, The Times reported.

These devices -- called carotid stents and embolic filters -- cost more than
$3,000 per kit. Currently, the worldwide market for these devices is estimated
to be about $130 million a year. However, some experts predict that the devices
will eventually account for $500 million to $1 billion of the worldwide stent
market, The Times reported.

To learn more, visit the Abbott Labs Web site.

http://www.abbott.com/news/press_release.cfm?id=990

-- Robert Preidt

Last Updated: Sept. 16, 2005

Copyright C 2005 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.