A stent for insertion into a vessel of a patient, comprising: a tubular member having a first smaller diameter for insertion into the vessel, and a second larger diameter for deployment within the vessel, and defining a longitudinal axis, said tubular member including a central portion comprised of a plurality of helical circumferential windings separated by a helical space, each of said windings including a plurality of undulations, with each said undulation being defined by two adjacent struts and a loop connecting said struts, at least one cylindrical end portion at an end of said central portion and, a transition zones between said central portion and each of said cylindrical end portions, said transition zone including a plurality of transition undulations having struts that progressively increase in length, wherein a relatively longer strut of said transition undulations has a relatively wider width than a relatively shorter strut of said transition undulations.
