Carotid Artery Disease News and Research

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Approximately one-fourth of all strokes are caused by carotid artery disease, a condition wherein one or both carotid arteries in the neck become blocked by plaque, which can break off and cause stroke. Traditional surgical treatment for carotid artery disease often involves general anesthesia and requires an incision in a patient's neck to remove plaque from inside the artery wall. Carotid artery stenting is a minimally invasive treatment option for patients who require intervention to prevent a stroke and are at high risk for complications from traditional surgery. The procedure is performed by delivering a stent on a catheter through the femoral artery in the groin. The catheter is maneuvered through the patient's vasculature to the carotid artery. The stent, which is designed to prevent arterial plaque and debris from breaking off and blocking blood flow to the brain, is then expanded at the site of the blockage.

Emboshield Pro safer in patients ineligible for standard surgical treatment of CAD

Placing a stent in a key artery in the neck is safer than ever in patients ineligible for the standard surgical treatment of carotid artery disease, according to a new study published online today in the Journal of Vascular Surgery.

12 Jan 2012

Positive preliminary results from Alnylam's Phase I ALN-PCS trial on severe hypercholesterolemia

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today the achievement of positive preliminary results from its ongoing clinical trial of ALN-PCS, an RNAi therapeutic targeting PCSK9 for the treatment of severe hypercholesterolemia.

5 Jan 2012

NYU Langone cardiovascular experts present new research findings at AHA 2011

Experts from the Cardiac & Vascular Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center presented new research findings at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2011 held November 12-16, 2011 in Orlando, Florida.

18 Nov 2011

Carotid artery stenting could treat severe disease lesions

Patients who are not candidates for traditional surgery for severe carotid artery disease lesions could be treated with carotid artery stenting, according to results of a small feasibility study by cardiologists at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

9 Nov 2011

New ESC Guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of peripheral artery disease

For cardiologists, coronary artery disease is the most important presentation of atherosclerosis. Patients with coronary artery disease may also have symptomatic or asymptomatic atherosclerosis in other vascular areas (peripheral artery disease).

26 Aug 2011

Series of articles explore recent evidence-based vascular medicine

As the population ages and obesity and diabetes increase, more people suffer from noncardiac vascular diseases. In the July/August issue of Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, published by Elsevier, a series of articles from recognized experts on key topics in vascular disease and endovascular medicine provide an insightful compendium of the evidence available to help improve the care of this complex patient population.

20 Jul 2011

Enrollment complete in Boston Scientific's Adapt Monorail Carotid Stent System trial

Boston Scientific Corporation has completed patient enrollment in the ASTI post-market clinical follow-up study designed to evaluate its Adapt Monorail Carotid Stent System in combination with its FilterWire EZ Embolic Protection System for treatment of carotid artery disease in patients at high risk for carotid surgery.

13 Jul 2011

FDA approves Abbott's RX ACCULINK Carotid Stent System

Abbott today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the RX ACCULINK Carotid Stent System for the treatment of patients with carotid artery disease who are at standard risk of adverse events from carotid endarterectomy.

7 May 2011

FDA clears Reverse Medical's ReFlex Catheter for neurovascular procedure

Reverse Medical Corporation announced today that it has received US FDA 510k clearance to market the ReFlex line of intracranial catheters for distal neurovascular access and microcatheter therapeutic delivery.

26 Apr 2011

Reverse Medical's ReFlex A+ Catheter receives European CE mark approval

Reverse Medical Corporation announced today that it has received CE Mark for its ReFlex A+ Catheter for intracranial distal access, delivery and aspiration.

5 Apr 2011

CAS is an economically attractive alternative to endarterectomy for stroke patients

Researchers determined that carotid artery stenting with embolic protection is an economically attractive alternative to endarterectomy for patients at increased surgical risk.

3 Mar 2011

Endologix announces initial PEVAR Trial presentation at 2011 iCON annual meeting

Endologix, developer of minimally invasive treatments for aortic disorders, announced today the presentation of the initial clinical results from the PEVAR Trial at the 2011 iCON annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona.

16 Feb 2011

FDA Advisory Committee recommends expanded indication for Abbott's RX ACCULINK Carotid Stent System

Abbott today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Circulatory System Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee voted that, for symptomatic and asymptomatic carotid artery disease patients at standard surgical risk, there is reasonable assurance that the benefits of the RX ACCULINK® Carotid Stent System outweigh its risks (Yes: 7, No: 3, Abstain: 1).

27 Jan 2011

Boston Scientific completes enrollment in Nitinol Stent System trial for treatment of iliac artery disease

Boston Scientific Corporation today announced that it has completed enrollment in the ORION clinical trial, which is designed to evaluate the Company's EPIC™ Self-Expanding Nitinol Stent System for the treatment of iliac artery disease, a form of peripheral artery disease associated with severe leg pain caused by insufficient blood flow to the muscles (claudication).

10 Jan 2011

Carotid artery stenting increases risk of death, stroke

For patients with blockages in the carotid artery that supplies blood to the brain, carotid artery stenting (a non-surgical treatment) appears to be associated with an increased risk of both short- and long-term adverse outcomes when compared with surgical treatment (carotid endarterectomy), according to a meta-analysis of previously published studies that was posted online today and will appear in the February 2011 print issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

12 Oct 2010

Astellas Pharma announces Phase IV study results of Lexiscan injection at ASNC session

Today Astellas Pharma US, Inc. announced results of a Phase IV study showing Lexiscan(regadenoson) Injection was comparable to placebo in causing a >15% decrease in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) in subjects with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are likely candidates for myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) studies.

27 Sep 2010

Studies that compare treatment options for carotid artery disease provide no clear answer, physician reports

A review of scientific studies that compares two treatments for preventing strokes due carotid artery disease provides no clear answer on which treatment is better, a UT Southwestern Medical Center physician reports in an editorial in today's issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

27 Jul 2010

Report finds geographic variation in the use of carotid endarterectomy, carotid stenting

Medicare beneficiaries in some parts of the United States appear more likely to receive carotid endarterectomy, a surgical procedure to clear blockages in the artery supplying blood to the head, whereas those in other regions more often receive stents for the same condition, according to a report in the July 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

27 Jul 2010

Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital performs 1000th carotid artery stent procedure

The Texas Heart Institute (THI) at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital has announced another major milestone in improved patient care, after performing its 1000th carotid artery stent procedure. Carotid artery stenting (CAS) has emerged as a less invasive treatment for stroke-causing blockages in the carotid artery, meaning patients generally have fewer risks for complications, shorter hospital stays and recovery times and less expense.

2 Jun 2010

CREST: Carotid artery surgery and stenting have long-term outcomes for patients with stroke

Physicians now have two safe and effective options to treat their patients at risk for stroke, says a researcher at Mayo Clinic who led a large, NIH-funded, national clinical trial testing surgery or use of a stent to open a blocked carotid artery.

28 May 2010