St. Jude stent device improves outcomes - study

BOSTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - St. Jude Medical Inc's (STJ.N) pressure-sensitive wire device reduced serious risks after stented angioplasty by 28 percent, U.S. researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday.

The device uses a pressure-sensitive wire to guide the placement of tiny wire mesh tubes, or stents, in diseased arteries, and reduced the rate of heart attacks, deaths or repeat surgery from 18.3 percent to 13.9 percent, Dr. William Fearon of Stanford University and colleagues reported. (Writing by Maggie Fox; Editing by Doina Chiacu)