The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) renewed the International Board of Rhythm Heart Examiners (IBHRE) accreditation and certification programs, according to an IBHRE news release.

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) has announced that it is partnering with the Chinese Society of Cardiology to launch a cardiovascular disease education and awareness program in China.

A database analysis of published studies found that adults between 40 and 70 years old had similar survival rates whether they received mechanical or stented bioprosthetic valves for aortic valve replacement. Although mechanical valves were associated with fewer reoperations, bioprosthetic valves were associated with fewer thromboembolic events and major bleeding events.

After adjusting for risk factors and potential confounders, researchers found that bradycardia was not associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease or mortality, according to a retrospective analysis.

Steven E. Nissen, MD, of the department of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, has questioned the validity of the updated dietary guidelines.

For patients undergoing CABG, perioperative statin therapy may lead to improvements in systematic inflammatory response and reductions in the risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation and perioperative mortality, according to a review of published literature. However, the use of statins was lower than the researchers expected.

Adults with heart failure who received implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) for primary prevention had a significant survival advantage compared with those who did not receive ICDs, according to a propensity score-matched analysis of Medicare patients.

The FDA approved an investigational device exemption study evaluating the Sapien 3 valve in elderly patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis who are at low risk for mortality.