Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is cost-saving across nearly all age groups, regardless of whether patients are found to have hypertension on the initial screening, according to a study published in Hypertension.

Patients who present to the hospital with cardiogenic shock (CS) and are treated with an intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) are more likely to survive if the device is implanted within an hour of CS onset, according to research published in the American Journal of Cardiology Dec. 4.

A team of researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health have developed an algorithm using electronic health record (EHR) data to identify tens of thousands of patients across the state who face an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Mylan Pharmaceuticals expanded its voluntary drug recall to include all unexpired valsartan-containing products in the U.S., the FDA announced Dec. 4. The action joins a host of other recalls over the last few months related to carcinogenic impurities being found in angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), a class of medications used to treat hypertension and heart failure.

A study presented Dec. 6 at the EuroEcho-Imaging 2018 conference in Milan adds to the debate over the "obesity paradox," finding that acute heart failure patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 23 or higher had better survival over nearly three years of follow-up than those with a BMI below that threshold.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture rolled out its final rule on school nutrition standards Dec. 6, allowing schools to ease up on whole grains, permanently serve 1 percent flavored milk and take their time reducing sodium levels in school lunches.

RALEIGH, N.C., Dec. 7, 2018—Contego Medical announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted 510(k) clearance for its Vanguard IEP® Peripheral Balloon Angioplasty System with Integrated Embolic Protection.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.—HeartFlow, Inc. today announced the start of the Prospective Randomized Trial of the Optimal Evaluation of Cardiac Symptoms and Revascularization (PRECISE) trial. The first patient was enrolled by Michael C. Turner, M.D., at Imperial Health Cardiovascular Specialists in Lake Charles, LA.

Liraglutide was associated with a 10 percent reduction in major cardiovascular events for patients with type 2 diabetes in a real-world population, offering hope that the cardioprotective benefits observed in randomized trials translate to regular clinical practice.

Heart patients who suffer Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) could face longer hospital stays, poorer outcomes and more than $150,000 in hospital bills if they’re undergoing chemotherapy simultaneously, researchers report in the American Journal of Cardiology.