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.

CABG, TAVR top list of most lucrative heart procedures for hospitals
Other procedures are associated with higher profits—heart transplants, for instance—but CABG and TAVR are performed much more often.
Cardiologists recommend AVR for asymptomatic severe AS—TAVR and surgery both viable options
A trio of leading voices in cardiology reviewed years of data while considering their proposal. The choice between TAVR and SAVR, they added, should be made on a case-by-case basis.
Physicians are leaning into supra-annular, self-expanding TAVR valves for women and small-annulus patients
"The onus is on us as cardiologists to make sure we offer the very best possible devices for our patients with the available data that we have," interventional cardiologist Anene Ukaigwe, MD, explained.
Women with severe aortic stenosis remain underdiagnosed, undertreated—here’s how cardiologists can make a difference
Women with cardiovascular disease are consistently underdiagnosed and undertreated compared to men, and those disparities are true for aortic stenosis as well. Women with symptomatic severe AS are up to 35% less likely than men to undergo aortic valve replacement, for example, and they often have to wait longer just to be referred for further care.
Ross procedure linked to high levels of safety, effectiveness after 20 years
“It has the added advantage of avoiding oral anticoagulation drugs and the risks associated with lifelong anticoagulation," one researcher explained. "In fact, most of our patients are not on any cardiac medications following one year after surgery.”

Defibtech, SCAA to launch automated external defibrillator effort

Defibtech and the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA) have launched an effort to provide automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to communities with critical needs.

FDA injunction stops Medtronic from making, selling some defibrillators

 Top executives of Physio-Control and its parent company Medtronic havesigned a consent decree of permanent injunction issued by the FDArelated to automatic external defibrillators (AED) manufactured byPhysio-Control.

Home AEDs do not improve survival rate of post-MI patients

For survivors of anterior-wall MI who were not candidates for implantation of a cardioverter–defibrillator, access to a home automated external defibrillator (AED) did not significantly improve survival, compared with reliance on conventional resuscitation methods, according to results from the Home Automated External Defibrillator Trial (HAT) presented Tuesday by Gust H. Bardy, MD, at the 2008 American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Sessions in Chicago.

BMJ: Calcium supplements may lead to cardiovascular events in older women

Calcium supplementation in healthy postmenopausal women is associatedwith upward trends in cardiovascular event rates, according to a studypublished online Jan. 15 in BMJ.

Study results show Vytorin not effective for lowering family linked high cholesterol

  Despite catchy TV commercials claiming Vytorin's positives of reducingcholesterol levels in patients predisposed to high cholesterol levels,a just-released study found Vytorin is no more effective in treatingpatients who were genetically predisposed to having dangerously highlevels of cholesterol than Merck's drug Zocor (Vytorin contains Zocor)because it did not slow the growth of artery blockages.

Circulation: Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates similar after standard CPR or chest compr

A simpler version of bystander-delivered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that skips mouth-to-mouth resuscitation may be just as effective for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims as standard CPR, according to two studies published online on Dec. 18 in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Statins Work But Pharmacoeconomic Caveats Abound

Cardiologists need to weigh the benefits of the more efficacious branded statins in comparison to the less expensive generics.

Report: Defibrillator use on the rise in Europe

For smaller companies to enter the burgeoning defibrillator market,they should forge alliances with businesses that can help them improvesales, distribution and market share, according to market research firmFrost & Sullivan.

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Structural Heart Disease

CABG, TAVR top list of most lucrative heart procedures for hospitals

Cardiologists recommend AVR for asymptomatic severe AS—TAVR and surgery both viable options

Physicians are leaning into supra-annular, self-expanding TAVR valves for women and small-annulus patients

Women with severe aortic stenosis remain underdiagnosed, undertreated—here’s how cardiologists can make a difference

Ross procedure linked to high levels of safety, effectiveness after 20 years

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