The American Heart Association has presented its Research Achievement Award for 2013 to Roberto Bolli, M.D., of the University of Louisville, “for the profound and lasting impact of his extraordinary contributions to cardiovascular research.”

The American Heart Association has awarded its 2013 Population Research Prize to Lewis H. Kuller, M.D., Dr.P.H., of Pittsburgh, “for 40 years of inspired leadership of a worldwide effort to better understand and prevent heart disease and stroke in populations.”

The American Heart Association today awarded its Basic Research Prize for 2013 to pediatric cardiologist and researcher Jeffrey A. Towbin, M.D., of Cincinnati, for “highly significant additions to our basic knowledge of cardiovascular disease in children.”

New guidelines for managing patients’ cholesterol won’t greatly affect the statin industry, the New York Times reported, but they could put a damper on new classes of drugs under development such as PCSK9 inhibitors.

The use of Apica's innovative transapical access technology was successfully demonstrated for the first time at the 27th European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) congress in Vienna. EACTS is one of the largest cardiac congress in the world, with around 6,500 participants.

George J. Magovern, MD, a pioneering cardiac surgeon who co-developed the sutureless Magovern-Cromie Heart Valve, died Nov. 4 at the age of 89. His obituary was published on Pittsburgh’s post-gazette.com website.

Acusphere, Inc. (ACUSD.PK) today announced that William I. Ramage, D. Phil., has been appointed Chief Development Officer of the Company. Acusphere is focused on the development of Imagify™ (Perflubutane Polymer Microspheres for Injectable Suspension), which if approved for sale, will be a novel cardiovascular drug for the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD), the leading cause of death in the United States and Europe.

A healthy weight is the key to a healthy heart, and yet an estimated 1 out of 3 children is either overweight or obese in the U.S. During a special symposium Oct. 27 at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, pediatricians discussed obesity and cardiovascular risk factors, public health policy, and how physicians can partner with families to improve children's weight.