Coronary artery stenosis patients aged 65 and older have better survival chances when they are treated with drug-coated stents, according to a study involving more than a quarter million Medicare recipients.

Researchers at Duke University reviewed 262,700 Medicare cases from the American College of Cardiology's National Cardiovascular Data Registry. Patients underwent angioplasty with drug-eluting or bare metal stents at 650 hospitals.

The investigators found those treated with drug-coated stents during the 30-month study period had a nearly 20% better survival rate and were 16% less likely to suffer a heart attack compared with patients who received bare metal ones. The findings were presented at the 2009 ACC meeting.