Discrepancies exist between how patients and cardiologists perceive the benefits of PCI, and while many cardiologists understand the procedural benefits, many patients misjudge them and believe the procedure is used to prevent death or MI, according to a study published in the Sept. 6 edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine. The informed consent process at hospitals is laced with flaws, and should be revised, Alicia Fernandez, MD, of the University of California, San Francisco, told Cardiovascular Business News.
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It's difficult to know which patients will respond better than others to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), but researchers in Germany have found that minimizing the longest intraventricular delay before and after device implantation correlates to superior response to CRT, according to a study published in the Sept. 1 edition of Cardiovascular Ultrasound.   Read more...

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who are at high-risk for esophageal injury caused by radiofrequency (RF) ablation can be identified by anatomical features easily seen on pre-acquired CT images, according to a study published in this month's HeartRhythm Journal.   Read more...

Control of atrial fibrillation (AF) was not achieved in more than 40 percent of the AF patients included in a 10,000 patient REALISE-AF registry, according to a study presented Sept. 1 at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress in Stockholm.   Read more...

There are increasing demands for electrophysiology (EP) professionals as a result of shifting demographic trends, evolving healthcare reform policies and improved procedural outcomes, according to a workforce study published in the September issue of the HeartRhythm Journal. The analysis also found substantial growth in the overall volume and complexity of cardiac procedures performed in the past decade.   Read more...

Members of the AVERROES trial data monitoring committee ordered that the trial be halted after interim results found a 50 percent stroke reduction for apixaban (Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer) compared to aspirin in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who were not suitable for warfarin, according to a presentation during the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress Aug. 31 in Stockholm.   Read more...

Among patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) or atrial fibrillation (AF), the effect of clopidogrel as compared with placebo is consistent, irrespective of CYP2C19 loss-of-function carrier status, according to substudies of the CURE and the ACTIVE A trials presented this week at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) conference in Stockholm, and simultaneously published online Aug. 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine.   Read more...

Royal Philips Electronics has released its upgraded cardiac ultrasound, the iE33 xMATRIX cardiac ultrasound system, which now offers a X5-1 transducer for adult echocardiograms, at the European Society of Cardiology Congress (ESC) this week in Stockholm.   Read more...

Dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim) was effective in preventing stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, based on a post-hoc analysis of the randomized RE-LY trial. The analysis, presented at this week's European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress in Stockholm, and simultaneously published in the Lancet, also showed that local standards of care affect the benefits of switching to new treatments.   Read more...

Administering low-dose supplements of n-3 fatty acids—eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid or alpha-linolenic acid—did not significantly alter the rates of major cardiovascular (CV) events among MI patients, according to the results of the Alpha Omega trial presented this week at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) meeting in Stockholm, and simultaneously published online Aug. 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine.   Read more...

Due to the current economic recession and decreasing reimbursement to cardiology, cath labs across the U.S. are being pressured to implement cost-control strategies to remain solvent.  Five cath lab practitioners and administrators came together to discuss their institutions’ tactics for maintaining economic viability, including competitive bidding and reducing the number of vendor products, while providing superior patient care.   Read more...

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Heart failure and complex coronary artery disease are persistent problems in the U.S. and a significant beneficiary of healthcare dollars. A model of care emerging for these patients is a strategy that focuses on the continuum of care. At Ochsner Medical Center’s Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans, physicians have taken a multidisciplinary approach to treating these high-risk patient populations. Percutaneous left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are an integral part of Ochsner’s strategy to improve care for these very sick patients.   Read more...

The St. Jude Medical EnSite Cardiac Mapping system, a system used to treat cardiac arrhythmias, is now available for use in Japan.   Read more...

SonoSite has received FDA clearance for its tracking and guidance technology for peripherally inserted central catheter line procedures, the LumenVu Catheter Guidance System.   Read more...

Health Canada has given a nod of approval to Medtronic's Ablation Frontiers' Cardiac Ablation System, a platform of radiofrequency ablation devices used to treat of atrial fibrillation.   Read more...

Hansen Medical and St. Jude Medical have signed an agreement for the commercialization of complementary new products for the treatment of heart rhythm disorders.   Read more...

With the advent of 64-slice CT, coronary CT angiography (CCTA) exams of low-risk patients presenting to the emergency department with chest pain are feasible given the nearly 100 percent negative predictive value of the test, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) published in the Aug. 17 issue of Circulation.   Read more...

Medtronic’s financial results for its first quarter of fiscal year 2011, which ended July 30, revealed a double-digit increase in net earnings, despite a slight drop in revenues.   Read more...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most commonly occurring cardiac arrhythmia and diagnostics account for a majority of the AF market, soaking up 25 percent. By 2015, the global AF market is estimated to reach $4.1 billion, according to a report conducted by Global Industry Analysts.   Read more...

Using select data from 3D contrast-enhanced (CE) CT imaging can better locate areas to be ablated in patients with ventricular tachycardia, compared with standard voltage mapping, according to a small study published online July 24 in Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology.   Read more...