The Week in Review: Compensation in cardiology | Groundbreaking cardiologist dies | Shockwave's new FDA approval

Compensation for cardiologists has been ample in recent years. Could the healthcare industry’s growing interest in value over volume lead to a change in that trend?

Lown was an innovator in the field of arrhythmia research and led the development of the direct current defibrillator. He also helped found an organization that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985. 

According to the new recommendation, patients with advanced cardiovascular disease are at an especially high risk of COVID-related complications and need to be vaccinated as quickly as possible. 

Shockwave Medical announced Tuesday, Feb. 16, that intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) has gained FDA approval for the treatment of severely calcified coronary artery disease.

Some COVID-driven changes will likely remain in place for years to come, according to a presentation at CV Summit Virtual 2021.

“Importantly, the pattern of damage to the heart was variable, suggesting that the heart is at risk of different types of injury,” one researcher said. 

According to a new study published in Circulation, ablation was associated with numerous benefits over standard drug therapy.

Intelerad Medical Systems has acquired Lumedx, an Oakland, California-based healthcare technology company focused on analytics and cardiovascular information systems. This is Intelerad’s third acquisition in the last seven months.

Manufactured by Novartis under the name Entresto, the medication is now also approved for treating HFpEF. 

Overall, researchers found that ivabradine was a “safe and effective” POTS treatment associated with making significant improvements to patient heart rates and quality of life.