Medication and lifestyle changes just as effective as surgery for heart disease, study finds New research could slash the number of people getting stents or bypass surgery for coronary artery disease. A study looks at a more than 5,000 people with blocked arteries, but without severe symptoms like extreme pain or heart attack. It found that regularly taking medications along with lifestyle changes was just as effective at preventing heart attacks as the more invasive procedures. Cardiologist Dr. Tara Narula joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss the findings.