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.

Telerehab as effective as clinical therapy for restoring functionality after stroke

Home-based telerehabilitation is just as effective as traditional rehab for restoring arm function in stroke survivors, according to late-breaking science presented at this year’s American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference in Honolulu.

February 12, 2019

Andexanet holds up as antidote for factor Xa inhibitors

Andexanet alfa (Andexxa), the only FDA-approved reversal agent for factor Xa inhibitors, was successful in mitigating bleeding events associated with that class of anticoagulants, researchers reported Feb. 7 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

February 11, 2019

FDA approves first treatment for rare blood-clotting disorder

The FDA announced Feb. 6 it has approved Cablivi for the treatment of adults with acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP), a rare blood-clotting disorder.

February 7, 2019

American Stroke Association announces ‘aggressive’ targets to speed care

Hospitals participating in the second phase of a quality improvement program through the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association reduced their median door-to-needle times for acute ischemic stroke patients from 66 minutes to 51 minutes. And the program is now setting its goals even higher. 

February 7, 2019
E-cig. Using e-cigarettes may be associated with a heightened risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib) or other heart rhythm issues, according to new research published in Nature Communications.

E-cig use tied to 71% higher risk of stroke

E-cigarette users can now add stroke to the list of risks they incur when they make the choice to vape, according to a study of more than 400,000 Americans.

February 4, 2019

Risk factors for stroke climbing in Native Americans

A study of Native Americans who experienced ischemic stroke showed they carried a high burden of risk factors, nearly all of which grew in prevalence from 2000 to 2016.

January 30, 2019
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

Around the web

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

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."

Trimed Popup
Trimed Popup