After following older adults for more than 20 years, researchers found that dietary patterns were not as closely associated with developing heart failure as many might guess. However, patients had a lower risk for heart failure if they were physically active, had modest alcohol intake, did not smoke and were not obese.

Cardiovascular Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSII) (CSI), today announced that it has received FDA clearance for its new ViperWire Advance® Peripheral Guide Wire with Flex Tip for their Peripheral Orbital Atherectomy Systems (OAS). The new guide wire provides physicians with improved flexibility, navigation and ease-of-use—particularly in hard-to-reach, tortuous vessels—when treating arterial calcium associated with peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Interventional cardiologists are taking the lead in quality initiatives for peripheral artery disease (PAD) revascularization. That includes developing guidelines, appropriate use criteria and promoting a vascular team model.

The prevailing wisdom is that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) will waltz into the intermediate-risk category and then skip over to low-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. 

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has progressed at lightning speed. Some cardiologists now debate what may be getting lost amid this rapid change.

In 40 percent of the cases when an emergency department (ED) physician at a pediatric hospital activated a stroke alert, the child ended up having a stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA) or another neurological emergency, according to an analysis at one medical center. 

Outpatient care for atrial fibrillation differs based on race and gender, according to an analysis of Medicare patients who were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in 2010 and 2011. Females were less likely than males to visit an electrophysiology specialist, receive an oral anticoagulant prescription or undergo catheter ablation.

Women who are exposed to trauma or have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, according to a 20-year observational analysis of female nurses in the U.S.