Data from a study led by researchers at Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute<http://globalmessaging1.prnewswire.com/clickthrough/servlet/clickthrough?msg_id=7563978&adr_order=59&url=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zYWludGx1a2VzaGVhbHRoc3lzdGVtLm9yZy9zZXJ2aWNlcy9oZWFydC1hbmQt%0AdmFzY3VsYXItY2FyZGlvdmFzY3VsYXItc2VydmljZXM%3D> showed marked, long-term improvement in health status in patients suffering from peripheral artery disease treated with the S.M.A.R.T. Nitinol Self-Expandable Stent. The study was sponsored by Cordis Corporation, (Fremont, Calif.), manufacturer of the S.M.A.R.T. Stent.

Methodist Mansfield Medical Center has received Cycle IV Chest Pain Center Accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC), an international not-for-profit organization that focuses on transforming cardiovascular care&nbsp;by assisting facilities in their effort to create communities of excellence that bring together quality, cost and patient satisfaction.

It may be time to dust off guideline recommendations on noncardiac surgery for patients who underwent recent coronary stenting, based on findings published online Oct. 7 in JAMA. Researchers cited emergency surgery and advanced cardiac disease, not stent type or antiplatelet issues, as the top determinants of adverse events. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The effect of statins on cholesterol levels is well known, but it turns out the lipid-lowering drugs may have another benefit. A study published online Sept. 25 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that a high dose of atorvastatin reduced periodontal disease inflammation.

Survivors of childhood cancer are living longer, but over time the cardiotoxicity of some chemotherapies and radiation therapy may be taking a toll on their hearts. The American Heart Association published a scientific statement online Sept. 30 in Circulation that reviewed the evidence of cardiotoxicity in childhood survivors and highlighted future directions.

Using clopidogrel monotherapy over a long period of time may be a safer option than long-term dual-antiplatelet therapy for stroke prevention in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack. A study published in the Oct. 1 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine found that dual-antiplatelet therapy did not reduce overall risk of stroke compared with clopidogrel alone or aspirin alone, but was associated with a higher risk of intracranial hemorrhage.

Let&rsquo;s talk policy. Policy is a whole lot more palatable than its cousin politics right now.

Thirty-day and one-year survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest tripled in Denmark between 2001 and 2010. The improvement coincides with the introduction of initiatives to educate the public about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but other factors likely contributed as well.