Structural Heart Disease

Structural heart diseases include any issues preventing normal cardiovascular function due to damage or alteration to the anatomical components of the heart. This is caused by aging, advanced atherosclerosis, calcification, tissue degeneration, congenital heart defects and heart failure. The most commonly treated areas are the heart valves, in particular the mitral and aortic valves. These can be replaced through open heart surgery or using cath lab-based transcatheter valves or repairs to eliminate regurgitation due to faulty valve leaflets. This includes transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Other common procedures include left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion and closing congenital holes in the heart, such as PFO and ASD. A growing area includes transcatheter mitral repair or replacement and transcatheter tricuspid valve repair and replacement.

Hospital to pay $24.3M over TAVR allegations
According to a whistleblower, Cape Cod Hospital performed hundreds of TAVR procedures without following specific government requirements.
Myval TAVR valve noninferior to similar devices from Medtronic, Edwards after 30 days
The balloon-expandable valve is already approved for use in India and Europe. New data presented at EuroPCR 2024 in Paris compared it to contemporary devices seen by many as the gold standard for TAVR care.
Cardiologists examine how residual TR after transcatheter tricuspid valve repair impacts survival
Researchers tracked data from more than 600 patients, noting that heart teams may want to reconsider how they classify residual TR after treatment.
FDA grants breakthrough device designation to new TMVR device from 4C Medical
The supra-annular AltaValve System was designed to treat both primary and secondary mitral regurgitation. It is implanted via transseptal access and positioned above the native mitral valve.
TAVR, SAVR linked to comparable long-term outcomes, new meta-analysis confirms
Researchers tracked data from more than 7,500 patients, sharing their findings at EuroPCR 2024 in Paris and in JSCAI.

Six visionary health leaders named Canada’s 2014 Hall of Fame inductees

The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame is proud to announce the 2014 inductees. Their passion and innovative, visionary leadership has improved health worldwide. The six inductees announced today will join the ranks of 101 laureates who have gone before them in receiving this prestigious national honour.

September 24, 2013

Atherotech Diagnostics Lab bolsters Research efforts with addition of Abate as Chief Clinical Officer

Atherotech Diagnostics Lab, a leading clinical reference laboratory specializing in cardiometabolic testing and disease management solutions, announces the addition of Gerard Abate, M.D., as the company’s Chief Clinical Officer.

September 20, 2013

UNLV, Sen. Reid Announce $20 Million NIH grant to support clinical health research

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and Nevada Senator Harry Reid announced a five-year, $20.3 million grant awarded to UNLV from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to lead a health research network of 13 universities across the Mountain West. The University of Nevada School of Medicine will partner on the grant.

September 19, 2013

Webb receives Lifetime Achievement Award for hypertension research

Dr. R. Clinton Webb, Chairman of the Department of Physiology at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University, is the 2013 recipient of the American Heart Association Council on High Blood Pressure Research's Irvine Page-Alva Bradley Lifetime Achievement Award.

September 16, 2013

Cardiovascular surgeon dies in plane crash

GoDanRiver.com of Danville, Va., reported that a cardiovascular surgeon at Danville Regional Medical Center died in a plane crash Aug. 29.

September 3, 2013

Cleveland HeartLab announces speakers for its fourth annual symposium on cardiovascular disease, preventive medicine

Cleveland HeartLab Inc. (CHL), a rapidly growing specialty clinical laboratory and cardiovascular disease management company, today announced that its fourth annual symposium, Where Inflammation Meets Lipids®, will focus on unique models and strategies for assessing, treating and preventing chronic disease.

August 30, 2013

Framingham study braces for cuts

Boston University’s BU Today reported that the 65-year-old Framingham Heart Study will lose $4 million in federal funding under the sequester, forcing the layoffs of 19 staffers in November.  In a video, Boston University biomedical engineer Ahmad S. Khalil, PhD, argues against the cuts on ScienceWorksforUS.org.

August 23, 2013

Kenneth Bernstein, M.D., receives Distinguished Scientist designation from American Heart Association

Kenneth Bernstein, MD, a Cedars-Sinai pathologist and scientific researcher known for expanding the understanding of a collection of proteins important in controlling blood pressure as well as heart and renal diseases, has been named a 2013 Distinguished Scientist by the American Heart Association.

August 21, 2013

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Structural Heart Disease

Hospital to pay $24.3M over TAVR allegations

Myval TAVR valve noninferior to similar devices from Medtronic, Edwards after 30 days

Cardiologists examine how residual TR after transcatheter tricuspid valve repair impacts survival

FDA grants breakthrough device designation to new TMVR device from 4C Medical

TAVR, SAVR linked to comparable long-term outcomes, new meta-analysis confirms

Around the web