In spite of increased bleeding risks, resumption of anticoagulant therapy was beneficial to patients following a traumatic brain injury, according to an article published in the August issue of JAMA: Internal Medicine.

Stroke patients without occlusions treated via thrombolysis fared better than patients who weren’t in a study published online July 29 in Stroke.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE:BMY) and Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) today announced that the European Commission has approved Eliquis for the treatment of DVT and PE, and the prevention of recurrent DVT and PE in adults. The European Commission approval applies to all European Union (EU) member states as well as Iceland and Norway. Eliquis is also approved in the EU for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in adults who have undergone elective total hip or knee replacement surgery, and for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in adult patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) with one or more risk factors.

The Spectranetics Corporation today announced receipt of U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance of their peripheral atherectomy products, Turbo-Tandem(R) and Turbo Elite(R), for the treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR). The clearance prompts a new standard of care in ISR treatment with improved clinical outcomes. 

A combination of directional atherectomy and embolitic protection filter to treat calcification in peripheral artery disease (PAD) patients showed a 97.2 percent success rate, according to a study published Aug. 1 in Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions.

BIOTRONIK, a leading manufacturer of cardiovascular medical devices, today announced the completion of patient enrollment in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) arm of its BIOFLEX-I clinical trial, an FDA-approved investigative device exemption (IDE) trial evaluating the use of self-expanding nitinol stents in treating peripheral artery disease. A total of 296 patients were successfully implanted with the Astron Pulsar and Pulsar-18 stents at 34 centers in the US, Canada and Europe. 

Researchers are asking if physicians still are on a learning curve when it comes to catheter-directed thrombolysis for proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) patients after noting no improvements over anticoagulant therapy in a study published July 21 in JAMA: Internal Medicine.

Two recently published studies on stroke attest to the gains made in controlling hypertension and reducing stroke risk factors—at least in older Americans.