Injection drug users prescribed controlled release hydromorphone—an opioid—are three times more likely to develop endocarditis than users prescribed other opioids, according to work published Jan. 22 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Palo Alto, Calif.-based nonprofit Additional Ventures announced Jan. 21 it would be awarding a total of $5.7 million to five institutions for research on single ventricle heart defects.

Redesigning the artificial heart valve could improve blood flow and potentially eliminate the need for blood thinners in patients with mechanical support, according to a new study.

Taking a minimalist approach to transcatheter aortic valve implantation, which involves using conscious sedation in lieu of general anesthesia, could result in greater procedural efficiency and a comparable quality of life for patients.

The odds of a successful and effective TMVR for the treatment of mitral regurgitation increase alongside an operator’s level of experience, a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology has found.

Abbott’s transcatheter tricuspid valve repair system is a safe and effective approach to treating tricuspid regurgitation in heart patients with few other options, according to data published in The Lancet.

Nearly 93% of the U.S. population lives in a hospital referral region with at least one medical center that performs 25 or more mitral valve repairs or replacements each year, according to work published in JAMA Cardiology—but MVRR centers continue to suffer from significant geographical and patient-level disparities.

Primary results from the GALILEO trial, presented at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting this November, suggest patients undergoing TAVR with no ongoing indication for oral anticoagulation benefit more from an antiplatelet-based treatment approach than a rivaroxaban-based approach.