TCTMD Articles

There is no survival advantage with invasive coronary revascularization over medical therapy in patients with stable ischemic heart disease, but revascularization does reduce the incidence of unstable angina and provides greater symptom relief, according to the results of a new study-level meta-analysis.

The American Heart Association (AHA), the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, launches the Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund to invest in solutions designed to break down the social and economic barriers to health equity.

The use of the corticosteroid dexamethasone in COVID-19 patients on mechanical ventilation cuts the risk of all-cause mortality by roughly one-third, while also lowering the risk of death in patients requiring oxygen, according to early data from the RECOVERY trial.

Among the small fraction of patients who undergo redo surgery for a failed TAVR device, outcomes are worse than for those receiving initial surgical aortic valve replacement, according to registry data.

In the race to save lives, physicians have turned to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and, more rarely, other forms of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) to overcome lung and sometimes cardiac complications of COVID-19.

An international drug-coated balloon (DCB) consensus group has issued updated guidance on the use of these devices in coronary arteries, with an emphasis on emerging indications and forthcoming technologies.

Physiologic pacing of the His-Purkinje conduction system is feasible in patients who require a permanent pacemaker following TAVR and this alternative pacing method did not interfere with ejection fraction recovery in patients with reduced LV function at baseline, according to the results of a new retrospective study.

In cities hit hardest by COVID-19, another perplexing problem has emerged: younger patients who test positive for the virus are presenting to hospital with large-vessel strokes and—in some cases—no traditional stroke risk factors.

Vascular Solutions, Inc. has announced it is recalling the Langston Dual Lumen Catheter in response to reports that the inner catheter may separate during use. The US Food and Drug Administration has deemed it a Class I device recall, the most serious type.