Mayo Clinic researchers have found that cardiac patients who have skin allergies to metals commonly found in jewelry, such as nickel, are at no higher risk for complications if they receive a stent containing these metal components. Mayo Clinic cardiologist Rajiv Gulati, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues studied a total of 29 patients with a history of skin allergies to stent metal components who subsequently underwent coronary stent implantation. The research team compared clinical outcomes with a matched control group of 250 non- metal allergic patients who received similar stents. In addition to following the study patients' outcomes in the long term, the team reviewed blood to look for signs of allergic reactions. The study was recently published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions. "We found no change compared with pre- and post- stent placement in the metal-allergic patients," Dr. Gulati said. "While we can't be definitive in our advice or counseling, we can suggest that based on our experience, there doesn't appear to be any evidence of both acute and long-term harm."