Vascular & Endovascular

This channel includes news on non-coronary vascular disease and therapies. These include peripheral artery disease (PAD), abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysm (AAA and TAA), aortic dissection, pulmonary embolism (PE), critical limb ischemia (CLI), carotid artery and stroke interventions, venous interventions, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and interventional radiology therapies. The focus on most of these therapies is minimally invasive, catheter-based procedures performed in a cath lab.

Boston Scientific recalls premixed embolic agent after two deaths
There have been a total of 11 incidents so far, including seven injuries and two deaths. Boston Scientific said the agent can still be used if operators follow specific instructions during lower GI bleed embolization procedures.
Anemia may help explain why women are more likely to die during heart bypass surgery
Finding new ways to avoid intraoperative anemia could go a long way toward improving outcomes for female CABG patients. The full analysis, based on more than 1.4 million patients, was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
FDA grants anticoagulant its orphan drug designation for treating patients with implanted devices
The anticoagulant was originally developed for patients with end-stage renal disease and atrial fibrillation.
FDA announces new recall of neurovascular catheters built by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary
The recall is due to ongoing concerns about the devices breaking. Three patients have been injured as a result of this issue.
GE Healthcare launching new AI software for handheld ultrasound system
The company's new AI offering, a product of its 2023 acquisition of Caption Health, will make its debut at ACC.24 in Atlanta.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially endorsed the use of polypills—fixed combinations of multiple medicines contained in a single pill—for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, adding them to the latest edition of the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines.

DOACs overtaking warfarin as go-to anticoagulant for Medicaid patients

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are on their way to surpassing warfarin as the anticoagulant of choice among Medicaid beneficiaries, despite their higher cost, according to new research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

January 30, 2019

SCAI chimes in on concerns about paclitaxel devices

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) weighed in on the ongoing debate regarding the long-term safety of paclitaxel-coated balloons and stents on Jan. 25, largely agreeing with the FDA’s stance that the benefits of such devices appear to outweigh the risks until more information becomes available.

January 28, 2019

Cachexia common after stroke, linked to lower functional capacity

About 1 in 5 patients experienced cachexia—or a loss of muscle and body weight—within a year of acute ischemic stroke, according to a small, single-center study published Jan. 24 in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle.

January 25, 2019

3D-printed sugary stent boosts speed of suturing arteries

A team of researchers has developed a sugar-based stent that provides structural support during challenging microvascular suturing surgeries. The stent, which is 3D printed to match the diameters of specific arteries, fits inside the adjacent ends of a blood vessel while the stitching process takes place—and then quickly dissolves after blood flow resumes.

January 25, 2019

Reperfusion suffers with in-hospital delays before stroke thrombectomy

Although the 2018 U.S. stroke guidelines recommended extending the window for endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) to 24 hours in select stroke patients, a new meta-analysis in JAMA Neurology serves as a reminder that prompt treatment remains crucial for achieving successful reperfusion.

January 24, 2019

Aspirin’s benefit in primary CVD prevention countered by bleeding risks

Aspirin offers modest protection against cardiovascular events in primary prevention, but that benefit is at least partially offset by an increase in major bleeding events, according to a meta-analysis published Jan. 22 in JAMA.

January 23, 2019

Medtronic IN.PACT Admiral drug-coated balloon (DCB)

5-year data show no link between paclitaxel dose and mortality with Medtronic DCB

Medtronic hopes newly presented five-year survival data put to rest any concerns about the long-term safety of the company’s IN.PACT Admiral drug-coated balloon (DCB).

January 22, 2019

FDA to evaluate potential risks of paclitaxel-coated devices for PAD

The FDA is looking into the signal of increased late mortality associated with paclitaxel-coated balloons and stents that was observed in a recent meta-analysis of patients treated for femoropopliteal artery disease.

January 17, 2019

Around the web

Health Imaging

New imaging protocols proposed to curb rise of cardiovascular infections

Eleven medical societies have signed on to a consensus statement aimed at standardizing imaging for suspected cardiovascular infections.

Radiology Business

What does radiology have to do with climate change?

Kate Hanneman, MD, explains why many vendors and hospitals want to lower radiology's impact on the environment. "Taking steps to reduce the carbon footprint in healthcare isn’t just an opportunity," she said. "It’s also a responsibility."

Vascular & Endovascular

Boston Scientific recalls premixed embolic agent after two deaths

Anemia may help explain why women are more likely to die during heart bypass surgery

FDA grants anticoagulant its orphan drug designation for treating patients with implanted devices

FDA announces new recall of neurovascular catheters built by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary

GE Healthcare launching new AI software for handheld ultrasound system

Around the web