Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT) today announced the initiation of the SPYRAL HTN Global Clinical Trial Program, a unique, phased clinical program studying renal denervation in uncontrolled hypertension. This announcement follows investigational device exemption (IDE) approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The program will begin with two global studies designed to address the confounding factors encountered in the SYMPLICITY HTN-3 clinical trial, including medication, patient population and procedural variability, to ensure the clinical potential of the therapy is evaluated.

Multidisciplinary teams offer a broader scope of clinical opinions that can change the face of healthcare. In the case of physician-pharmacist teams, blood pressure control at nine months was best among patients monitored by a team, with sustained improvement through 24 months among minorities.

For symptomatic intracranial stenosis, aggressive medical therapy appears the best choice. Again. According to the findings from VISSIT, patients receiving intracranial stents were more than twice as likely to have a stroke, transient ischemic attack, intracranial hemorrhage or die within the first 30 days.

Boston Scientific’s implantable Watchman Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device finally won FDA approval to become an option to long-term warfarin therapy for high-risk patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

Former Intel executive Sean Maloney set off on a 5,000-mile cycling quest March 22 to raise awareness about stroke prevention. His Heart Across America campaign is a three-month fundraising trek from Palo Alto, Calif., to New York City.

Sometimes eliminating a drug may be the best way to care for a dying patient. Findings comparing continued and terminated statin therapy in palliative care patients found those who discontinued statins experienced improved quality of life with no significant increase in risk of death.

The FDA approved a self-expanding stent system for patients with peripheral artery disease, adding another option for treating blockages in the iliac arteries.

Interventional cardiologists, vascular surgeons and others in the U.S. now have a cornucopia of treatments for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD), thanks to recent FDA approvals for drug-eluting stents and drug-coated balloons. But using these devices is no slam-dunk. Questions about patients and payments make some physicians hesitant to incorporate them into practice.