Interventional Cardiology News and Research

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Multidisciplinary approach to treatment of heart attacks a success

Acute heart attacks can be successfully treated through a multidisciplinary team approach involving Emergency Medical Services, emergency physicians, cardiologists and specialty centres, according to a study conducted by Dr. Jacobus S. de Villiers and colleagues in Calgary.

19 Jun 2007

Efforts to standardize heart care are working

People who suffer a heart attack or severe chest pain today are much less likely to die, or to experience long-lasting effects, than their counterparts even a few years ago, according to a new international study in the May 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

2 May 2007

Long-term safety of drug-eluting stents in off-label use

Research presented at the American College of Cardiology's Innovation in Intervention: i2 Summit 2007 in New Orleans, La, paints a picture of the "real world" use of drug-eluting stents and offers new insight into the connection between blood clotting, or thrombosis, in the stent - a dangerous complication - and adherence and responsiveness to anti-clotting medication.

3 Apr 2007

New technology offers alternative to open heart surgery

A new method of treating mitral regurgitation (MR), the leaking of blood through the mitral valve into the heart chamber, provides a less-invasive alternative to open heart surgery.

19 Nov 2006

Treatment of severe coronary artery disease with angioplasty/coronary stenting a viable alternative to bypass surgery

Severe stenosis (blockage) to the left main coronary artery - a condition commonly called a "widow-maker"- can result in sudden death. For nearly 30 years, the gold standard for treatment has been coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG).

1 Mar 2006

Statin drugs may improve the endothelial dysfunction

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine say preliminary results of a small study show promise in improving erectile dysfunction (ED) in men who had shown minimal reaction to Viagra.

24 Feb 2006

Cutting angioplasty risks

Significant gains made through multi-hospital cooperative effort led by U-M Cardiovascular Center and funded by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

16 Feb 2006

Percutaneous aortic valve replacement - evolutionary and promising interventional cardiology procedure

Percutaneous aortic valve replacement is becoming a reality and brings new hope for a number of patients who cannot currently be treated with traditional surgical techniques.

5 Sep 2005

Does aspirin work equally well for everyone?

We all know that aspirin can help prevent a heart attack or stroke, but does aspirin work equally well for everyone? A growing amount of medical evidence says no. One reason emerging to explain this difference is that some people fail to achieve an adequate response to the drug.

26 Jul 2005

Simple blood test can quickly identify type of congestive heart failure

A simple blood test can quickly identify what type of congestive heart failure (CHF) a patient has, improving diagnostic accuracy; eliminating the need for extensive diagnostic tests, such as heart muscle biopsy or exploratory surgery; and enabling the patient to be treated sooner, according to a study published in the June 7 Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

6 Jun 2005

Women respond as well as men to treatment with drug-eluting stents

Despite the fact that symptomatic coronary disease afflicts men and women equally, only 33 percent of the 1.2 million interventional procedures conducted in the U.S. each year are done on women.

19 Apr 2005

Women with heart attacks benefit from stenting

Female heart attack patients undergoing angioplasty have a higher risk of death than men, but stenting may improve their outcomes, according to a study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

12 Apr 2005

Women with heart attacks benefit from stenting

Female heart attack patients undergoing angioplasty have a higher risk of death than men, but stenting may improve their outcomes, according to a study reported in Circulation, Journal of the American Heart Association.

7 Apr 2005

New form of technology to treat cardiac arrhythmias

Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center physicians are among the first in the country to use a new form of technology to treat distant, malfunctioning areas inside the heart that cause irregular heartbeats, or cardiac arrhythmias.

23 Mar 2005

Drug eluting stents as effective as vascular brachytherapy in preventing restenosis

After angioplasty is performed to widen clogged arteries, surgeons frequently use tiny wire-mesh tubes called stents to keep blood vessels open. But despite stenting, scar tissue can form to create new blockages -- a process called in-stent restenosis (ISR).

7 Mar 2005

Studies find Aspirin resistance in up to 27% of Aspirin users

While aspirin remains a crucial and cost-effective therapy for the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases, research suggests that a significant percentage of the 25 million Americans on a chronic aspirin regimen are "aspirin resistant," or do not achieve sufficient antiplatelet effects from aspirin.

7 Mar 2005

Sirolimus drug-coated stent causes less inflammation than bare metal stents

In the treatment of coronary artery disease, a sirolimus drug-coated stent causes less inflammation than bare metal stents, according to preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association annual meeting by Loyola University Health System, Maywood, Ill.

11 Nov 2004

New valve repair device that could replace major heart surgery

The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) is participating in a nationwide clinical trial of a new valve repair device that could replace major heart surgery in some patients.

8 Nov 2004

PPD, Inc. has announced the launch of PPD Medical Device Division

PPD, Inc. has announced the launch of PPD Medical Device, a division of PPD Development, providing services to the medical device industry with experience in developing stents, devices and therapies in the areas of interventional cardiology, endovascular, neurology and orthopedic disorders as well as wound care.

10 May 2004

GE Introduces new imaging solution for diagnosing certain diseases

Patients can now experience increased peace-of-mind and enhanced expert care during cardiac and vascular treatment, thanks to a first-of-its-kind imaging system from GE Healthcare.

21 Apr 2004