The FDA has approved Bolton Medical's Relay thoracic stent graft with Plus delivery system to use as a minimally invasive treatment for thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs) and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers.

Efforts to better identify asymptomatic peripheral artery disease (PAD) may allow for earlier diagnosis and intervention especially for women, in whom the disease burden may be higher.

The risk of ischemic stroke after an acute MI fell by 21 percent over a decade, according to an analysis of Swedish registry data. The results suggest that improvements in the care of acute MI patients may be driving down the incidence in ischemic stroke.

The Solitaire Flow restoration device achieved substantially better angiographic, safety and clinical outcomes than did the Merci Retrieval System, according to the small, randomized SWIFT trial presented Aug. 27 at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Munich. Thus, the study authors suggested that Solitaire might be a future treatment of choice for endovascular recanalization in acute ischemic stroke. 

Physicians can play a key role in preventing and treating peripheral artery disease (PAD) by encouraging patients who show symptoms of depression to seek care, according to the authors of a study that found depression was associated with a greater risk of PAD. Some of these risk factors can be managed through lifestyle changes or medications, they wrote.

In recent years, cardiologists have been building a case for erectile dysfunction (ED) as a predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in men. Based on a literature review of this work, a multidisciplinary, international team of researchers recommended in the July issue of the American Heart Journal that physicians query all young and middle-age men with CV risk factors about ED symptoms.

Infrapopliteal nitinol stenting is safe and effective for treating critical limb ischemia (CLI), according to results from the XCELL trial. Researchers reported improved outcomes at six and 12 months in Rutherford Class 4-6 patients, but added that further studies based on larger patient groups and longer follow-up were needed.

Interventional cardiologist Gary Roubin, MD, PhD, has joined Continuum Health Partners, the parent company for Beth Israel Medical Center, St. Lukes and Roosevelt Hospitals and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, all based in New York City, in the newly created position of director of cardiovascular services.