While percutaneous aortic valve replacements have been performed for more than six years in Europe, the option is not available to U.S. patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) who are not surgical candidates, except for the select few enrolled in the Edwards Lifesciences PARTNER trial. With Medtronic applying for an FDA investigational device exemption (IDE), and a few other players emerging in Europe, the market seems explosive, but many clinical, ethical and financial questions need to be addressed before this therapy becomes a standard part of clinical practicein the U.S.

Piedmonts Family Heart Disease Program embraces the trend of preventive disease initiatives.

There is an inverse association between the level of supine systolic blood pressure (BP) measured on admission to an ICU for acute chest pain and risk of death at one year, with those patients having high systolic BP having a better prognosis after a year, according to a study published March 24/31 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Medtronic has commenced an international clinical program for its CoreValve transcatheter aortic valve system, a minimally-invasive alternative to open-heart surgery for aortic valve replacement.

ATLANTATreating multiple blood lipids with combination drug therapy of a fibrate and a statin did not reduce the combined risk of cardiovascular disease events more than treatment with statins alone, according to the ACCORD trial presented today at the late-breaking clinical trials session at ACC.10.  Slides

ATLANTALowering blood pressure to below currently recommended levels did not significantly reduce the combined risk of fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular disease events in adults with type 2 diabetes who were at especially high risk for cardiovascular events, based on the ACCORD trial presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) conference today.  Slides

ATLANTAIn situ simulation as a means to improving door-to-balloon (D2B) times during STEMI significantly reduces times, and is a well-suited method to address organizational challenges that compromise patient and quality of care, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology Administrators (ACCA) annual cardiovascular administrators leadership conference this week.

The FDA has added a boxed warning to the label for clopidogrel (Plavix, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Aventis), the most widely sold anti-clotting medication, for patients who do not effectively metabolize the drug (i.e., poor metabolizers) and therefore may not receive the full benefits of the drug.