Thoratec, a provider of mechanical circulatory support therapies for failing hearts, said that revenues for the 2009 second quarter that ended July 4, were $92.1 million, versus revenues of $82.6 million in the second quarter of 2008, representing a 20 percent growth in cardiovascular division revenues and an 11 percent increase in overall revenues. Yet, declining sales for its hemostasis management division adversely affected its net income.

Heart disease patients with previous atherosclerosis are more likely to die in the hospital and less likely to be treated with recommended therapies, according to a study published Aug. 3 in Circulation.

Using a model, researchers found that cooling unconscious cardiac arrest survivors can increase survival and has cost-effectiveness comparable with other widely accepted treatments, according to a study in the Aug. 4 in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

Striking differences in the risk factors for developing heart failure (HF) and patient prognosis exist between men and women. Men and women may also respond differently to treatment, which has raised concerns about whether current practices provide the best care and reinforcing the urgency for sex-specific clinical trials for HF, according to a review article published in the Aug. 4 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

A home telehealth monitoring program developed by the University of Ottawa Heart Institute has cut hospital readmission by 54 percent for heart failure patients. The program also has been shown to save up to $20,000 for each patient safely diverted from an emergency department visit, readmission and hospital stay.

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have an increased risk of hospitalization due to heart failure, according to a propensity-matched study published in the June issue of the European Heart Journal, which also suggested that AF is not associated with an increased risk of death in heart failure patients, contradicting previous assumptions.

An inpatient cardiomyopathy unit may offer a lower cost and higher contribution margin alternative for the management of advanced heart failure (HF) patients, requiring hemodynamic monitoring without other major inpatient procedures, according to a retrospective review in the June issue of the Journal of Cardiac Failure.

The value and cost-effectiveness of screening for left ventricular (LV) dysfunction with echocardiography remains unclear, particularly since specific, evidence-based treatments are not available for the majority of patients with preserved systolic dysfunction, according to a study in the June issue of the Journal of Cardiac Failure.