A Journal of the American College of Cardiology study this week linked long-term alcohol consumption to adverse cardiac remodeling in patients who were initially young and healthy—something the paper’s authors said might be offset by drinking predominantly wine.

Half of patients who receive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals in the U.S. travel more than 48 miles for the procedure; a quarter travel at least 110 miles. Yet distance to the PCI site doesn’t significantly influence one-year outcomes, a recent study found.

The FDA has approved Contego Medical’s Paladain Carotid PTA Balloon System, the first approved embolic protection device to contain both a carotid angioplasty balloon and an integrated filter.

DUBLIN — September 18, 2018 — Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an investigational device exemption (IDE) to initiate a single-arm study to evaluate the CoreValve Evolut(TM)TAVR system in patients with bicuspid aortic valves who are at low risk of surgical mortality.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (SEPTEMBER 17, 2018) — W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. (Gore) today announced the first European patient implant of the GORE® EXCLUDER® Conformable AAA Endoprosthesis with ACTIVE CONTROL System. This next-generation endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) device is indicated to treat the broadest range of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) in patients with challenging anatomies.

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients have better odds of survival if emergency medical services (EMS) personnel alert the hospital where the patient will be arriving ahead of time, according to a study published Sept. 17 in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

Heart failure patients who are discharged from the hospital before they reach euvolemia—a healthy balance of blood in the body—are more likely to be readmitted in both the short- and long-term, according to research published in the American Journal of Cardiology this month.

The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) submitted a letter to BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) of Tennessee urging an expansion of cardiac PET coverage.

Despite overall advances in healthcare and targeted initiatives to address disparities in care, black patients and those with lower socioeconomic status tend to have worse outcomes for a range of conditions in the U.S. However, based on a recent analysis published in JAMA Network Open, hospital-level differences don’t explain the phenomenon.

A daily, low dose of aspirin isn’t preventive against early death or disability in older patients who are otherwise healthy, according to results from the eight-year ASPREE trial that were released Sept. 16.