A woman in Maryland pleaded guilty on Feb. 25 to federal charges that she illegally obtained controlled substances and participated in healthcare fraud. Claire Elizabeth Rice, 68, admitted that she presented and filled 91 forged prescriptions in the name of a practicing cardiologist from 2008 to 2013.

An analysis of patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest found those treated at hospitals that had greater adherence to guideline-recommended therapies had higher survival rates. The researchers also observed that there was a significant variation in the quality of care at U.S. hospitals.

An analysis of adults between 18 and 55 years old who had an acute MI found that women were less likely overall to return to work compared with men following their illness. However, after adjusting for certain patient factors, the researchers said there was no statistically significant difference between women and men in their likelihood of returning to work.

The American Heart Association (AHA) said it would not hold conventions in cities that do not have comprehensive smoke-free laws.

A database analysis found that 80 percent of the studies of high-risk cardiovascular devices that the FDA approved between January 2011 and December 2013 reported their results in peer-reviewed biomedical literature, an increase from a 49 percent rate for similar devices between January 2000 and December 2010.

When Robert M. Califf, MD, takes over as FDA commissioner, the prominent cardiologist plans on focusing on evidence-based medicine and recruiting and retaining talent at the agency. Califf spoke with the Washington Post in a brief interview soon after the Senate confirmed his appointment on Feb. 24.

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) competency management committee released a report on Feb. 19 outlining competencies cardiologists should develop during their careers.

In an editorial published online in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Feb. 22, physicians Eduardo Ortiz, MD, MPH, and Paul A. James, MD warned that a target systolic blood pressure of less than 120 mm Hg should only be applied to a small group of patients.