BOSTON—Implantation of the Watchman device (Boston Scientific) without a warfarin transition is safe and effective in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with contraindications to even short-term oral anticoagulation, according to an analysis of the ASA Plavix registry, presented May 11 as a late-breaking clinical trial at the 33rd annual scientific sessions of the Heart Rhythm Society.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) patients have a five-fold increase in the risk of stroke; however, older women diagnosed with AF may fare worse than men, despite warfarin use, according to a study published in the May 9 issue of the
Journal of the American Medical Association.
After nine years of waiting, the results are out on a trial evaluating whether device closure offered benefit over medical therapy alone for the prevention of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in patent foramen ovale (PFO) patients. However, the CLOSURE I trial may have missed its mark, as it was found that undergoing an expensive device closure procedure may be no more effective than medical therapy.
WASHINGTON, D.C.--While the decision about which antiplatelet drug to use for PCI may vary, Stephen D. Wiviott, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Medical Center in Boston, suggested that the third-generation options of prasugrel (Effient, Eli Lilly/Daiichi Sankyo) or ticagrelor (Brilinta, AstraZeneca) may be the best options for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). He made this case during a Feb. 5 presentation at the annual Cardiovascular Research Technologies (CRT) meeting.
W. L. Gore & Associates has purchased the assets and intellectual property of NMT Medical, including data related to CLOSURE I, for an undisclosed sum, while NMT was being auctioned off.
Thursday, September 22
Integrating comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation programs into clinical practice can be beneficial for patients who have experienced a transient ischemic attack or a mild, non-disabling stroke, according to a study published Sept. 22 in Stroke.
Heart failure (HF) patients who hold no insurance, or are on Medicare or Medicaid, experience worse outcomes compared with those who hold private insurance, according to a study published Sept. 27 in the
Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Many with no insurance refuse care, which has led to worse outcomes. While the future of payment models remains unknown, it is crucial to attempt to close these care gaps, Marvin A. Konstam, MD, wrote in an accompanying editorial.
Aggressive medical management of high-risk stroke patients proved superior to percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (PTAS) combined with aggressive therapy in preventing a second stroke, according to a study published online Sept. 7 in the
New England Journal of Medicine. Both the risk of stroke after stenting and the benefits of the medical management strategy were much higher than researchers anticipated, the lead author told
Cardiovascular Business in an interview.
A pair of visual ultrasound markers may help physicians better determine which patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis face a higher stroke risk, and better determine which patients might benefit from carotid endarterectomy (CEA), according to a study published online Aug. 17 in Neurology.
Stick to the guidelines when it comes to treating patients with prasugrel, a study published Aug. 4 in the American Journal of Cardiology found. The results showed that patients with stroke and transient ischemic attack (those which are contraindicated by the FDA and European Medicines Agency) fared worse than a clinical cohort of patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing PCI.
Months after data from the PARTNER A trial were presented at ACC.11 showed that transcatheter aortic-valve implantation (TAVI) could be an alternative to standard aortic valve replacement techniques, an editorial published online June 5 in the
New England Journal of Medicine questioned whether the technique is all that promising due to its association with serious vascular and technical complications.
The number of acute ischemic stroke patients administered clot-busting drugs has doubled since 2005, from 3.4 to 5.2 percent in 2009. However, according to new research published in Stroke, the numbers of patients who receive thrombolytic drugs are still low.
The patent foramen ovale (PFO) is frequently associated with cryptogenic stroke. PFO is present in about 25 percent of the population, but is not harmful to the vast majority. Even as the evidence surrounding this congenital condition expands, practitioners find themselves clashing on if and how to treat this common heart defect.
