Instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) can safely guide revascularization decisions in left anterior descending (LAD) arteries with moderate stenosis, according to an analysis of the DEFINE-FLAIR study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 

The incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in pregnant women increased between 2005 and 2014, according to research published in the American Journal of Cardiology Jan. 25, but that hike was accompanied by decreases in mortality, cost of care and length of stay among expectant mothers.

The interventional cardiology residency program at Detroit Medical Center will undergo an accreditation inspection Feb. 8 following controversial leadership changes within the organization last fall, Crain’s Detroit Business reported.

Full results from the SPRINT MIND trial, published Jan. 28 in JAMA, suggest intensive blood pressure control at a systolic target of less than 120 mm Hg could reduce the likelihood of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that leads to dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Amid the FDA’s crackdown on the e-cigarette industry due to rising rates of teen vaping, a new randomized trial revealed e-cigs are effective for their original purpose: The devices were almost twice as successful as other nicotine replacement therapies, like patches and gums, in helping people stop smoking.

DUBLIN and SAN DIEGO - January 30, 2019 - Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT) today announced new data supporting the long-term durability, safety, and efficacy of the Valiant(TM) Captivia(TM) thoracic stent graft system for the treatment of blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI). The presentation by Himanshu J. Patel, M.D., University of Michigan Department of Cardiac Surgery at The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Annual Meeting, was the first and only five-year industry-issued dataset ever reported for patients with aortic transections undergoing thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). 

DANVERS, Mass. — Abiomed (NASDAQ:ABMD) has achieved CE Mark for Impella Connect, the first-of-its kind cloud-based technology that enables secure, real-time, remote viewing of the Impella console for physicians and hospital staff from anywhere with Internet connectivity. European CE Mark adds to Impella Connect’s previous U.S. FDA PMA approval.

A health plan-wide intervention to switch diabetic patients from costly new insulin products to older, more affordable drugs resulted in a marginal increase in hemoglobin A1c (hbA1c) levels but didn’t change the rate of hospital visits for dangerously high or low blood sugar, researchers reported Jan. 29 in JAMA.

Patients undergoing heart surgery might see better outcomes and shorter hospital stays if they opt for intraoperative autologous blood donation, according to research out of New York.

An extended analysis of the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial has confirmed alirocumab, a PCSK9 inhibitor that hit the medical market in 2015, reduces a patient’s total risk of nonfatal and fatal cardiovascular events after an acute coronary syndrome (ACS).