Delaying TAVR for six months can have a negative effect on patient outcomes. During the pandemic, however, there were certain times when a delay was safer than completing the procedure. 

"This is a very important advance in the field of cell therapy and in the management of heart failure," one specialist said. 

The study, published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology, included data from more than 3,000 patients. 

Rather than a binary choice—atherectomy or lithotripsy—the market for treating severely calcified lesions seems likely to evolve into a mixture of both technologies. That, in fact, is already occurring. One strategy gaining currency among interventionalists, particularly those in Europe, is to try a high-pressure balloon first in cases of moderately severe calcification and, if the device fails to fully expand, re-enter the vessel with atherectomy. 

“Clinicians and policymakers should consider that strategies which improve cardiovascular health may also improve outcomes for people following COVID-19," one researcher said. 

With older heart valves, a higher degree of aortic angulation was often associated with post-TAVR complications. 

The new-look wearables are designed to be waterproof, washable and—yes—comfortable enough to use for extended amounts of time. 

The new study, published in JAMA Cardiology, included data from more than 44,000 adults.