Zinc may be the ideal ingredient for bioabsorbable stents, new research from Michigan Technology University concludes. The team bases its conclusion on a study involving the implantation of tiny zinc wires in the arteries of rats. It turns out the rate of degradation was ideal for stents, about 0.2 millimeters per year, and when they removed the wires after a few months, the rats' arteries remained healthy. Beyond the fact that zinc degraded safely, it also helps reduce atherosclerosis, the researchers note. They believe it will be a safer component than iron, which rusts in the artery, or magnesium, which dissolves too quickly (both have been tested for bioabsorbable stents). The journal Advanced Materials published their research in detail. Release