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Carotid artery stenting safe and effective in older adults

Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and a multicenter team of investigators have found that carotid artery stenting (CAS) is safe and effective in patients age 70 and older.

27 Mar 2012

Medtronic pacemaker reduces risk of syncope recurrence

Medtronic, Inc. today announced the results of a double-blind, randomized study, ISSUE-3, which found that patients who suffered from fainting due to neurocardiogenic syncope had fewer fainting occurrences when treated with a Medtronic pacemaker.

From Medtronic 27 Mar 2012

Novel interventional radiology procedure zaps around complicated pancreatic tumors

Results of a study presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif., signal a light at the end of the tunnel for individuals with inoperable locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). A new procedure called irreversible electroporation or IRE uses microsecond electrical pulses to force open and destroy tumor cells around a vast and delicate network of blood vessels of the pancreas.

27 Mar 2012

ACS symposium focuses on biomimetics

Combining the secrets that enable water striders to walk on water and give wood its lightness and great strength has yielded an amazing new material so buoyant that, in everyday terms, a boat made from 1 pound of the substance could carry five kitchen refrigerators, about 1,000 pounds.

27 Mar 2012

Medtronic Resolute DES found effective through two years

According to new clinical data presented today at ACC.12 -- the 61st Annual Scientific Session & Expo of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) -- the Resolute drug-eluting stent (DES) from Medtronic, Inc. maintains a powerful and persistent treatment effect for a wide variety of patients with coronary artery disease, including those with diabetes mellitus, through two years of follow-up.

From Medtronic 27 Mar 2012

NIH OBSSR creates Web-based interactive anthology

A Web-based interactive anthology will provide psychologists, economists, anthropologists, sociologists and other scientists with the latest research methods and tools to address emerging challenges in public health, such as the obesity epidemic and the rise of chronic diseases such as heart disease.

26 Mar 2012

Ariosa completes clinical validation study for Harmony Prenatal Test

Ariosa Diagnostics (formerly Aria Diagnostics), a molecular diagnostics company, today announced the completion of its clinical validation study for the Harmony Prenatal Test.

26 Mar 2012

Zotec Partners to manage billing operations for TRA Medical Imaging

Zotec Partners, an industry leading provider of specialized medical billing and practice management services for the hospital-based specialty market, announces today that it will manage all billing operations for TRA Medical Imaging, out of Tacoma, Wash.

26 Mar 2012

Lower BMI increases risk during insertion of ICDs

Patients who are underweight or small in stature are twice as likely to experience complications or die during insertion of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) compared to obese and normal-weight patients, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session.

26 Mar 2012

UPMC Health Plan offers WebMD Digital Health Assistants program

UPMC Health Plan is the first health plan in the nation to offer the WebMD Digital Health Assistants, virtual health coaching programs that help support and sustain health improvement, while fostering healthy lifestyle behaviors.

26 Mar 2012

Doctors adjusting (or not) to e-prescribing, smartphones

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will penalize doctors who fail to reach electronic prescribing rules.

26 Mar 2012

CardioFocus introduces HeartLight Endoscopic Ablation System for AF in the Netherlands

CardioFocus, Inc., developer of the HeartLight Endoscopic Ablation System (EAS) for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), announces its technology is now available in the Netherlands. Physicians at Isala Klinieken in Zwolle were the first in the country to incorporate visually guided ablation into their regular therapeutic practice and have successfully treated several patients.

26 Mar 2012

Minimally invasive treatments could target ‘hunger hormone’

A minimally invasive treatment may target hunger at its source, another uses X-ray visible embolic beads to block arteries to the stomach and suppress hunger and a third explores the use of stem cells to repair vertebral disc degeneration. Initial results from all these studies were reported at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Francisco, Calif.

26 Mar 2012

Novel device for measuring pelvic floor muscle strength

It is estimated that urine loss affects 30% of women at some point in their lives. Despite this high incidence rate, up until now clinical evaluation of patients suffering from this problem has been based on tactile examination, a subjective procedure that is not carried out in a consistent way by different medical professionals.

26 Mar 2012

Accuray releases PlanTouch integrated software application in radiation oncology

Accuray Incorporated, the premier radiation oncology company, announced today the release of PlanTouch, the first commercially available, fully integrated software application in radiation oncology that allows physicians to remotely review and approve patients' radiation treatment plans on the iPad.

26 Mar 2012

CCTA identifies more patients with coronary artery disease

Coronary CT angiography (CCTA) scans allow doctors to determine safely and more quickly which patients at low-to intermediate-risk for a heart attack can be discharged from hospital emergency departments (EDs) than traditional methods, according to the results of a large, multicenter American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) trial published online today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

26 Mar 2012

Percutaneous cryoablation freezes and destroys breast cancer tumors

Individuals fighting metastatic breast cancer, where the disease has progressed to other areas of the body, may finally have another weapon in their arsenal: percutaneous cryoablation.

26 Mar 2012

Ansell to launch SANDEL healthcare safety devices in EMEA

Ansell, a global leader in protection solutions today announced it will introduce SANDEL healthcare safety devices in EMEA this year, with Australia, New Zealand and South America to follow thereafter. SANDEL will be first introduced during the 6th Annual EORNA (European Operating Room Nurses Association) Congress held from April 26 to 29 in Lisbon, Portugal.

26 Mar 2012

PCI may be an excellent option for STEMI patients 90 years and older

Selected patients 90 years and older who experience an acute heart attack, or ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), have reasonable outcomes with coronary stenting, and should be considered for reperfusion therapy, based on a scientific poster being presented at the 61st annual American College of Cardiology (ACC) scientific session.

26 Mar 2012

Toshiba highlights Aquilion ONE and CT Myocardial Analysis at ACC annual meet

As the only CT system with a detector wide enough to capture the entire heart in a single rotation, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.'s Aquilion ONE dynamic volume CT system, combined with Vital Images' CT Myocardial Analysis software, provides clinicians with images of both cardiac anatomy and function for cardiac ischemia diagnoses.

26 Mar 2012