Controversial John Hopkins heart study to continue

A controversial New Jersey heart study will continue despite backlash in the medical community.
The John Hopkins study is aimed at examining the difference in results for patients who choose angioplasty at hospitals offering complete cardiac care versus hospitals without.
Angioplasties are a common heart procedure performed to improve blood flow.
Twelve hospitals without full cardiac units were granted permission by the state to perform elective angioplasties as part of the study. More than 2,000 patients have taken part.
Hospitals with heart surgery centers complain the study puts patients at risk. Critics have been crying foul since the study began two years ago.Cardiologist Rakesh Sahni of the Raritan Bay Medical Center, one of the hospitals participating in the study, says his site has performed approximately 500 elective angioplasties in two years without any complaints.
AP wires contributed to this article