Vascular Solutions recalled its Twin-Pass dual access catheters after discovering that excessive manufacturing material may remain at the tip of the catheter or within the distal portion of the rapid exchange lumen.

Peripheral artery disease is under scrutiny as the number of endovascular interventions has soared. In a field where clinical evidence is sparse, experts are asking how the financial and societal costs of revascularization compare with amputating the problem and whether early detection and treatment could save lives, limbs and perhaps healthcare dollars.

Trial results on same-day discharge for elective implantable cardioverter-defibrillator procedures may reassure centers, but whether the approach lowers cost is anyone’s guess.

The newly launched efforts from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to redefine what it means for a food to be healthy means that avocados and other foods rich in omega-6 fats could soon receive the coveted distinction. 

After a case-mix adjustment, hospitals that are smaller, have higher annual ischemic stroke admission volume and are located in rural settings are more likely to have patients spend time at home within 90 days of suffering an ischemic stroke, according to a recent analysis.

Gregg Stone, MD, and Ajay Kirtane, MD, SM, predicted conference highlights.

Warfarin has remained a top drug therapy for the prevention of stroke for decades, but recent advancements in oral anticoagulants may provide more effective and safer treatment options. 

Medicare beneficiaries with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who received 20 mg per day of rivaroxaban had statistically significant increases in intracranial hemorrhage and major extracranial bleeding compared with those who received 150 mg of dabigatran twice daily, according to a retrospective cohort study.