In an analysis of 93,801 catheter ablation procedures in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), researchers found a complication rate of 6.29 percent, with lower volume of procedures associated with a higher rate of complications. The findings were published in the Nov. 5 issue of Circulation.

Targeting specific blood pressure numbers may not be as effective as tailoring therapy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease events in hypertensive patients, according to a study published online Nov. 4 in Circulation. Benefit-based tailored treatment was more effective and required less antihypertensive medication than therapy geared toward lowering blood pressure.

Testosterone therapy may increase the risk of death, MI or ischemic stroke, according to results from a Veterans Affairs study. Whether those findings apply to a broader population of men is unclear, an editorialist wrote, but “prescribers and patients should be wary.” The study and editorial were published Nov. 6 in JAMA.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is independently associated with a higher rate of first-time MI, especially in blacks and women, according to a study published online Nov. 4 in JAMA Internal Medicine.  

Current guidelines recommend a patient-appropriate combination of antiplatelets, beta-blockers (BB), ACE inhibitors (ACEI)/ARB and statins to reduce the risk of MI and death from cardiac causes in all patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), but a study published online Oct. 30 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that more than one-third of these patients did not receive whatever combination would have been appropriate for them. Prescribing practices varied widely, leading to the discrepancies.

The use of an ultrasound device along with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is safe, based on the results of a phase II trial published online Oct. 24 in Stroke.

Boston Scientific completed its acquisition of Bard EP, the electrophysiology unit of C.R. Bard. 

The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) is investigating the PLATO clinical trial, Astra Zeneca announced in a financial report.