The FDA’s preliminary investigation into the long-term safety of paclitaxel-coated balloons and stents revealed those devices are associated with a 50 percent higher risk of death than control devices used to treat femoropopliteal artery disease.

Patients who received aortic valve repair or replacement (AVR) based on Class II indications fared better than those who underwent surgery for Class I triggers in a single-center study, suggesting earlier intervention may be warranted in asymptomatic individuals with chronic aortic regurgitation.

The CDC has released a new fact sheet on the burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the U.S., highlighting its relationship to cardiovascular disease and noting that 15 percent of American adults—or 37 million people—have CKD.

The FDA has expanded the indication for the MitraClip to include heart failure patients with moderate-to-severe secondary mitral regurgitation, the agency announced March 14. Abbott’s transcatheter mitral valve repair device was approved in 2013, but only for primary mitral regurgitation.

Air pollution could be contributing to twice as many deaths as previously estimated, according to research published in the European Heart Journal. Cardiovascular disease often deals the final blow, with CVD events accounting for 40 to 80 percent of these deaths.

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) will begin offering a new Transcatheter Valve Certification to U.S. hospitals in mid-2019, the College announced March 13.

The FDA fast-tracked the approval process for a new generic valsartan product (Diovan) amid an ongoing shortage of the blood pressure and heart failure medication.

A napping habit could lower blood pressure to a similar extent as other lifestyle modifications and some drugs, according to research scheduled to be presented March 18 at the American College of Cardiology’s scientific sessions in New Orleans.