Policy & Regulations

This channel includes news coverage of healthcare policy and regulations set by Congress, the states, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and medical associations and societies. 

Medtronic Symplicity Spyral renal denervation

FDA approves another renal denervation system for hypertension

This is the second time in a matter of weeks the FDA has approved an RDN system for uncontrolled hypertension. The SCAI issued a statement about this trend, calling it a “game-changer for both interventional cardiology and the treatment of hypertension."

November 20, 2023
American Heart Association and Joint Commission launch new Comprehensive Heart Attack Center certification.

CVD deaths have increased dramatically, undoing years of progress

The COVID-19 pandemic undid years and years of progress in terms of preventing CVD-related deaths. What can be done to help reverse this trend once and for all? 

November 15, 2023
Hypertension patients measured their blood pressure less frequently during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research published in Hypertension. In addition, when those patients did measure their blood pressure, the readings were less healthy than they had been before the pandemic.

Cardiologist reprimanded for performing surgery after testing positive for COVID-19

He has agreed to pay an administrative fee of $1,100 within the next three months.

November 14, 2023
Newsweek ranked the 50 best heart hospitals in the world

10 ways to improve care for in-hospital cardiac arrest

“Nearly 300,000 cardiac arrests occur in hospitals in the United States each year, and only about 25% of people survive to hospital discharge after these types of events,” according to one author of a new analysis published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

November 10, 2023
Cardiologist heart

Cardiologists develop new way to evaluate heart risks—kidney function, metabolic health included for first time

One key difference between this new risk calculator and previous methods is that it does not consider a patient's race or ethnicity. It does, however, consider such factors as where the patient lives, their education and their income level. 

November 10, 2023
tirzepatide injections Zepbound Eli Lilly. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared Eli Lilly and Company’s tirzepatide injections for chronic weight management in adult patients who are obese, overweight or present with at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. These weekly injections are being sold and distributed under the brand name Zepbound. Tirzepatide is also used in Mounjaro, FDA cleared in 2022 for improving glycemic control in adults.

FDA approves diabetes drug tirzepatide for chronic weight management under new name

The FDA issued its own statement about the approval, highlighting the importance of taking the drug in combination with an improved diet and regular physical activity.  

November 8, 2023
Ultromics EchoGo AI platform. When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the 2024 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System final rule, it included an updated reimbursement for the EchoGo Heart Failure platform from Ultromics. EchoGo Heart Failure is now associated with an ambulatory payment classification (APC) code of APC 5743 and a payment rate of $284.88.

CMS increases reimbursement for AI-powered heart failure platform

Ultromics thinks the significant payment increase will help ramp up utilization among U.S. healthcare providers.

November 8, 2023
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Recor Medical’s Paradise Ultrasound Renal Denervation (RDN) system for uncontrolled hypertension. The Recor system gained FDA clearance in November 2023.

FDA approves first renal denervation system for uncontrolled hypertension

The system, designed for patients with uncontrolled hypertension who are unresponsive to medication, uses ultrasound ablation to target nerves in the renal arteries, increasing blood flow. This approval comes just months after an FDA advisory panel voted in favor of the system. 

November 8, 2023

Around the web

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

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