Hospitalizations for drug use-associated infective endocarditis (DUA-IE) increased 12-fold in North Carolina in one decade, according to a new study, and nearly half of all IE valve surgeries from late 2016 through mid-2017 were performed in patients with DUA-IE.

A hospital’s suggestion that a Michigan woman raise $10,000 before being considered for a heart transplant fueled outrage last month, but that situation isn’t all that uncommon, according to a Dec. 5 story from Kaiser Health News.

A possible deal between controversial e-cigarette company Juul and tobacco giant Altria could be a matter of weeks away, the Wall Street Journal reported in late November—and Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, isn’t pleased at the prospect.

Industry payments to cardiologists remained largely stable in the first three years those payments were made publicly available, a new analysis found, with biomedical manufacturers distributing about $520 million to more than 30,000 U.S. cardiologists from 2014 to 2016.

Hospitals ranked highest for cardiology and heart surgery by the U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) boast lower 30-day mortality rates for acute MI, heart failure and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), according to research published in JAMA Cardiology—but those same hospitals also see similar or higher readmission rates compared with hospitals that aren't ranked at all.

Infrastructure requirements and changing policy are the top barriers to speeding the adoption of value-based care, according to a survey of healthcare executives, clinical leaders and clinicians conducted by NEJM Catalyst.

A Michigan-based hospital system rejected a patient's request for a heart transplant with the suggestion she fundraise $10,000 to pay for medications, touching off a debate about Medicare for all and the costs of American healthcare in general.

Sales representatives from medical device companies can provide training and expertise on the latest implantable gadgets but may also be encouraged to upsell physicians on the newest, most expensive products, according to a Nov. 23 article in NPR.