FDA approves first TAVR system for AR | AKI after TAVR | Injection could heal heart attack damage | Ultra-processed foods

The Trilogy Transcatheter Heart Valve System is the first TAVR device approved by the FDA to treat severe aortic regurgitation. Until now, interventional cardiologists have had to settle for the off-label use of TAVR valves built for treating aortic stenosis. 

Multiple studies have linked acute kidney injury after TAVR to a heightened risk of short- and long-term mortality. 

Amplifying the body’s natural release of a specific hormone may reduce stress on the heart and limit long‑term damage after myocardial infarctions.  

Study participants who ate high amounts of ultra-processed foods were 66.8% more likely to experience a heart attack, stroke or cardiac arrest than those who did not.

A jury sentenced the former cardiovascular ICU nurse to death for intentionally murdering multiple heart patients. In one TV interview, he said the power associated with the murders became "an addiction" over time. 

Lerman, who spent nearly 40 years with Mayo Clinic, was especially influential in the treatment of nonobstructive CAD. 

Afnan Tariq, MD, discusses early data on a passive, device-agnostic AI platform for heart failure monitoring. “When clinicians are empowered with insights and able to act earlier, you're able to have a durable impact," he said.

UnitedHealthcare now requires patients enrolled in certain Medicare Advantage plans to receive a PCP referral before seeing a cardiologist. On May 1, the insurer will start denying all claims that do not include the necessary referral. UnitedHealthcare argues that "stronger PCP engagement" is good for patient care, but many stakeholders disagree.

Jennifer Ashton, MD, an OB-GYN who became a household name thanks to years of appearances on ABC News and Good Morning America, hopes this new initiative can help cardiologists learn more about such topics as menopause and hormone therapy. 

Both treatment options were found to be effective in a new meta-analysis of nearly 20,000 patients.  Surgery, however, had the most substantial long-term impact.

Judge Brian Murphy with the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts sided with the American Academy of Pediatrics and other plaintiffs who challenged the authority of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr to effectively remove the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices from the process put in place to make changes to CDC vaccine recommendations. 

“If we are not careful, we run the risk of spending more time admiring these novelty-driven tools than advancing the real frontiers of radiology.”