While your facility likely has robust measures in place to dodge contamination, recent developments provide a valuable reminder to examine current practices.

In atrial fibrillation patients, dabigatran (Pradaxa) administered at 110 mg was associated with similar rates of stroke and systemic embolism as with warfarin, as well as lower rates of major hemorrhage, based on the RE-LY trial presented Sunday at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Barcelona, Spain. Yet, dabigatran administered at 150 mg, compared with warfarin, was associated with lower rates of stroke and systemic embolism but similar rates of major hemorrhage.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and its U.S. subsidiary Takeda Global Research & Development Center in Deerfield, Ill., have received notification that the FDA has agreed to the study design for EXAMINE, a cardiovascular outcomes trial for alogliptin, a selective dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor under investigation for the treatment of type 2 diabetes as an adjunct to diet and exercise.

Researchers may have uncovered the reason why beta blockers are less effective at preventing stroke in older people with high blood pressure, when compared to other drugs for high blood pressure.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and blood pressure measures can remain controlled in most patients discharged from a cardiac disease management program, according to a randomized study in Augusts American Journal of Managed Care.

Medtronic has reported a decline in net income of financial results for its recent quarter, compared to a year ago.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survivor Chris Knight likes to say he died five times in one day and, in fact, he did. Knights heart stopped four more times after an initial SCA. Luckily for him, the city in Illinois where he was visiting equips all its police officers and first responders with automated external defibrillators (AEDs). His experience has made him into a crusader to have AEDs for all first responders in his part of the Texas Panhandle.

Among older patients with diabetes, pioglitazone (Actos) is associated with a significantly lower risk of heart failure and death than is rosiglitazone (Avandia), according to a retrospective cohort study published Aug. 18 in the British Medical Journal.