Benzodiazepines are administered before a majority of cardiac surgeries to lower the risk of intraoperative awareness. At the same time, however, recent studies have suggested they increase the risk of postoperative delirium.

A 54-year-old heart transplant recipient was unable to take doctor-prescribed medications during his brief stay at a local jail. He died a few days after being released. 

More than 100 incidents have been reported so far. The FDA is still evaluating this issue, but the agency wanted to raise awareness as quickly as possible.

The annual conference is now in its fourth year. Attendees are encouraged to leave their ties, jackets and skirts at home and embrace a more casual dress code.

Smartphones have made it easier than ever for patients to monitor their own health, but the technology is far from infallible. 

A Tulsa-based cardiology clinic was accused of submitting false claims for E&M services over a period of several years.

The so-called "weekend effect" seen with other cardiovascular diseases appears to exist for patients with severe aortic stenosis as well. 

Many PAD patients do not even know they have the disease until it is too late, leading to unnecessary amputations and increasing the risk of other adverse patient outcomes. Awareness is especially limited among Black and Hispanic adults, experts warn, creating an added sense of urgency when looking to accelerate patient education efforts.