U.S. hospitals set record for quick treatment of blocked arteries

A new report out of the University of Colorado shows that U.S. hospitals have set a record for how quickly they can open blocked arteries after a patient has a heart attack, reports ABC News.

According to the report, more than 93 percent of patients have their arteries opened within 90 minutes of arrival to the hospital.

"It's one of the few things in medicine where time, literally seconds, is of the essence,” said Ajay Kirtane, MD, director of the lab that performs angioplasties at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. “It's where the phrase 'time is muscle' comes from.”

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Katherine Davis,

Senior Writer

As a Senior Writer for TriMed Media Group, Katherine primarily focuses on producing news stories, Q&As and features for Cardiovascular Business. She reports on several facets of the cardiology industry, including emerging technology, new clinical trials and findings, and quality initiatives among providers. She is based out of TriMed's Chicago office and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Columbia College Chicago. Her work has appeared in Modern Healthcare, Crain's Chicago Business and The Detroit News. She joined TriMed in 2016.

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