The European Commission has approved the oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban for the treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE) and the prevention of recurrent deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and PE in adults.

Long-term hospital costs after transient ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke are considerable, but they are mainly incurred during the first year after the event. A recent U.K. study published in the November issue of Stroke also found that event severity and experiencing subsequent stroke and coronary events after the index event accounted for much of the increase in costs.

The FDA has approved the Zilver PTX drug-eluting peripheral stent (Zilver PTX Stent, Cook), the first drug-eluting stent (DES) indicated to reopen the femoropopliteal artery when narrowed or blocked as a result of peripheral artery disease (PAD).

While lower-extremity amputation rates decreased significantly among patients with peripheral artery disease from 2000 to 2008, there remains significant patient and geographic variation in amputation rates across the U.S., according to a study of Medicare patients published Nov. 20 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The FDA has approved Medtronic's Valiant Captivia stent graft system for the endovascular repair of isolated lesions (excluding dissections) of the descending segment of the thoracic aorta. This expanded indication includes the treatment of transections, or blunt traumatic aortic injuries, according to the company.

The FDA has approved Cordis' S.M.A.R.T. Control vascular stent systems for use in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) and/or the proximal popliteal artery (PPA).

The FDA has cleared Avinger’s Ocelot System, an interventional chronic total occlusion crossing catheter, for sale in the U.S. The system is used to treat patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Evidence is tipping in favor of aspirin for long-term prevention of recurrent venous thromboembolism in high-risk patients. While the ASPIRE trial found no significant reduction in the rate of late recurrence in patients who had a first episode of unprovoked venous thromboembolism, its results, combined with those of the WARFARA study, underscore aspirin’s numerous benefits.