An innovative National Drug Early Warning System is being developed to monitor emerging trends that will help health experts respond quickly to potential outbreaks of illicit drugs such as heroin and to identify increased use of designer synthetic compounds. The system will scan social media and Web platforms to identify new trends as well as use conventional national- and local-level data resources.

Adding niacin and laropiprant to statins in patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease increased the risk of adverse events without providing therapeutic benefits compared to statins and a placebo, according to results from the HPS2-THRIVE trial.

Using an EHR and automated office blood pressure checks together, one research team is applying 21st century solutions to the problem of diagnosing hypertension.

The saying goes that the most expensive piece of equipment in medicine is the physician’s pen. That may be changing as healthcare cultures evolve.

The Cleveland Clinic topped the list of best hospitals for cardiology and heart surgery in the U.S. News & World Report annual ranking by specialty. The report includes a scorecard for 708 hospitals across the U.S.

The international cardiovascular information system (CVIS) market is expected to reach $211.3 million by 2018, for a 7.9 percent increase from 2013, MicroMarket Monitor predicted.

A glass of wine may not be as heart-smart as previously believed. An international research team looking at a gene variant that reduced alcohol consumption found that in those people who consumed less alcohol, markers for cardiovascular disease were also reduced.

In response to complaints about burdensome and costly Medicare audits and reviews, a Senate committee convened a roundtable July 9 to dissect the problem and issued recommendations to streamline the process in the future.