Eric Topol, MD, a cardiologist and director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, wrote an editorial in the Wall Street Journal on the future of medicine. Topol predicts providers and patients will continuously monitor data and apply the findings to treat conditions such as heart failure.

Kim Allan Williams, MD, President of the American College of Cardiology, wrote a letter to the editor in the New York Times on Nov. 30 in response to a recent editorial. Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, an oncologist and a vice provost at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote about a study that found patients had better outcomes when senior cardiologists were out of town. However, Dr. Williams questioned the study’s methods and Dr. Emanuel’s conclusions.

A retrospective study of patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) found their risks of ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes were significantly higher than the general population, particularly in younger age categories.

Major cardiovascular societies are increasing their public reporting of data to help patients obtain information on hospitals’ care delivery and improve the quality and cost of care, according to an advisory published online in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on Nov. 18.

Women who survived an MI or ischemic stroke early in their lives had higher mortality rates and fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events later in their lives compared with a control group, according to a long-term follow-up study.

The FDA issued a safety alert on Nov. 23 warning of potential issues with coatings peeling or flaking off of intravascular catheters, guidewires, balloon angioplasty catheters, delivery sheaths, implant delivery systems and other medical devices.

Physicians at an American Medical Association (AMA) meeting in Atlanta voted on Nov. 17 to support a ban of direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medications and medical devices.

Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and U.S. commercial availability of the MyCareLink Smart(TM) Monitor, the world's first app-based remote monitoring system for patients with implantable pacemakers.