Stents are a popular treatment for angina pectoris, or chest pain usually resulting from narrowed arteries. Getting a stent is a serious procedure, with no small risk associated with it. And recent studies indicate that stents don’t do much to reduce recipients’ chance of future heart problems. They do offer some pain relief, but research indicates that may just be our old friend, the placebo effect.
This video was adapted from a column I wrote for the Upshot. Links to further reading can be found there.