COAPT substudy: MitraClip gives lasting boost to quality of life

NEW ORLEANS — Patients who received the MitraClip device to treat heart failure with secondary mitral regurgitation showed significant and lasting improvements on a quality-of-life assessment compared to people treated with optimal medical therapy alone, according to a substudy of the COAPT trial presented at the American College of Cardiology’s scientific sessions.

Primary prevention guideline downgrades aspirin, highlights social determinants

NEW ORLEANS — Described by its authors as “a one-stop shop” for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, a new guideline released March 17 by the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) runs the gamut from smoking cessation strategies to specific recommendations for treating cholesterol based on a patient’s 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

ACC, ABIM release new maintenance of certification pathway for cardiologists

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) has issued a new statement urging the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) to rethink its maintenance of certification (MOC) policies. The organization, home to more than 4,500 interventional cardiologists, says some of its members have seen their privileges “threatened and even revoked” despite passing the necessary exams and reporting procedural volumes as required. Stamp | Certification

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) announced on March 15 an alternative option for cardiologists to maintain their board certification. The Collaborative Maintenance Pathway (CMP) will feature an annual performance assessment, each covering about 20 percent of the field of cardiovascular disease, so the entire span of general cardiology can be covered in five years.

FDA Approves Industry's Smallest, Slimmest 3T Tachycardia Devices from BIOTRONIK

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore., March 14, 2019 — BIOTRONIK today announced FDA approval of the Acticor and Rivacor high-voltage cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device families for treatment of patients with cardiac arrhythmias. The six new tachycardia solutions include Rivacor VR-T, Rivacor DR-T, Rivacor HF-T QP, Acticor DX, Acticor CRT-DX Bipolar and Acticor CRT-DX.