Structural Heart Disease

Structural heart diseases include any issues preventing normal cardiovascular function due to damage or alteration to the anatomical components of the heart. This is caused by aging, advanced atherosclerosis, calcification, tissue degeneration, congenital heart defects and heart failure. The most commonly treated areas are the heart valves, in particular the mitral and aortic valves. These can be replaced through open heart surgery or using cath lab-based transcatheter valves or repairs to eliminate regurgitation due to faulty valve leaflets. This includes transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Other common procedures include left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion and closing congenital holes in the heart, such as PFO and ASD. A growing area includes transcatheter mitral repair or replacement and transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement.

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EU warns of CV safety risk with diclofenac

The European Medicines Agency has issued its final review of recently published information on the cardiovascular safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), concluding that there is a “small increase in the risk of cardiovascular side effects” with diclofenac, compared with other NSAIDs.

NIH pulls plug on intervention for type 2 diabetes

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) ended a trial designed to evaluate whether changing diet and exercise reduced cardiovascular risk factors in patients with longstanding type 2 diabetes after concluding that the intervention failed to meet that goal.

Making headway, maybe

Talk about mixed results. It has been a week of conflicting news in the cardiovascular world.

Theravance and Merck ink hypertension, heart failure deal

Theravance has signed a collaboration agreement with Merck to develop and commercialize new small molecule therapeutics directed toward a target being investigated for the treatment of hypertension and heart failure.

Out with the bad: Lipid levels declining in U.S.

Serum cholesterol levels in U.S. adults continue to improve, according to a study that tracked trends over a 22-year period. The analysis adds to the growing evidence that these cardiac risk factors are on the decline, the lead author said in an interview with Cardiovascular Business.

HRT may offer CV benefits in younger women

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in recently menopausal or perimenopausal women may offer protection against cardiovascular disease without increasing cancer risk, according to a study published Oct. 9 in BMJ.

Diabetes screening in U.K. leads to no reduction in deaths

In a study of people at high risk of diabetes, screening for the disease led to no reduction in mortality over 10 years, according to results published online Oct. 4 in Lancet.

Complex diabetics receive better care than less complex patients

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