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Study supports catheter ablation as first-line treatment for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

Patients with the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation (AFib) who received first-line catheter ablation treatment had a longer arrhythmia-free interval than patients receiving antiarrhythmic drugs, the standard first-line treatment.

11 May 2012

Rule change has consequences for dialysis patients

A shift last year by the federal government in how it pays for drugs to treat dialysis patients may have had an unintended and potentially dire consequence, according to new research: a significant jump in blood transfusions for patients who now may not be getting enough of the medications.

11 May 2012

Two types of stent systems are both effective in treating iliac artery disease

Two types of stent systems are both effective in treating patients who have severe forms of peripheral artery disease (PAD), according to results of the MOBILITY trial presented today as a late-breaking clinical trial at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions.

11 May 2012

New combination therapy offers potential lifetime cure for advanced type 1 diabetes

City of Hope researchers developed a combination therapy to treat late-stage type 1 diabetes that appears to offer a potential lifetime cure for the disease without toxic side effects. The laboratory study is published in the May 9 edition of Science Translational Medicine.

11 May 2012

Cedars-Sinai’s first patient implanted with SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart

SynCardia Systems, Inc., manufacturer of the world's first and only FDA, Health Canada and CE (Europe) approved Total Artificial Heart, said today that Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles has discharged its first patient to be implanted with the SynCardia temporary Total Artificial Heart.

11 May 2012

PET imaging for sudden cardiac arrest can identify candidates for ICDs

New research from the University at Buffalo suggests that cardiologists may have a new way to identify patients who are at the highest risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and the most likely to benefit from receiving an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD).

11 May 2012

Ixmyelocel-T shows promise against progressive heart failure

An investigational therapy derived from a patient's own bone marrow stem cells improves heart function in some patients with progressive heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), according to the results of a Phase 2a study presented today as a late-breaking clinical trial at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions.

11 May 2012

Patients with mitral regurgitation live longer after surgery

Patients with mitral regurgitation, a type of valvular heart disease common in the elderly, are living longer after surgery, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

11 May 2012

ICD therapy significantly reduces mortality in patients with moderate heart failure

St. Jude Medical, Inc., a global medical device company, today announced results of the SCD-HeFT (Sudden Cardiac Death in Heart Failure Trial) 10-Year Follow-up Study at Heart Rhythm 2012, the Heart Rhythm Society's 33rd Annual Scientific Sessions in Boston. The study demonstrated implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy significantly reduces mortality for at least 11 years in patients with moderate heart failure (HF).

11 May 2012

Combination of Chartis system and Zephyr EBV treatment effective in treating emphysema

Pulmonx, an emerging leader in interventional pulmonology, announced today that the European Respiratory Journal has published the results of the Chartis Multi-Centre study. The study is the first to combine the Chartis Pulmonary Assessment System and Zephyr EBV treatment for patients with advanced emphysema.

11 May 2012

German and Portuguese hospital first to use iCAD’s Xoft system in Europe

iCAD, Inc., an industry-leading provider of advanced image analysis, workflow solutions and radiation therapy for the early identification and treatment of cancer, announced the first European patients have been treated with the Xoft Axxent Electronic Brachytherapy System.

11 May 2012

Rice University students invent device to help children with cerebral palsy

With the aid of multiple force sensors and a digital dinosaur, a team of Rice University seniors known as Helping Hands hopes to restore strength and flexibility to the hands and wrists of children with cerebral palsy.

11 May 2012

IGABT effective at controlling return and spread of cervical cancer

Delivering radiotherapy directly to cancer of the cervix using 3-D imaging techniques is effective at controlling the return and spread of the disease and, in most cases, avoids the need for hysterectomies, according to research presented at the World Congress of Brachytherapy today.

11 May 2012

Biosense Webster introduces new curve visualization technology in the U.S.

Biosense Webster, Inc., a worldwide leader in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, announced the launch of the new THERMOCOOL SF NAV irrigated ablation catheter with Curve Visualization in the United States.

11 May 2012

Sorin launches full portfolio of pacing, defibrillation and left ventricular leads

Sorin Group, a global medical device company and a leader in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, announced today at Heart Rhythm 2012, the Heart Rhythm Society's 33rd Annual Scientific Sessions, FDA approval and commercial launch for a full portfolio of pacing, defibrillation and left ventricular leads.

11 May 2012

Robotic system can safely assist interventional cardiologists in performing PCI

A robotic system can safely assist interventional cardiologists in performing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) while significantly reducing the physician's exposure to radiation and improving precision and control, according to results of the PRECISE study (CorPath Percutaneous Robotically-Enhance Coronary Intervention Study), presented today as a late-breaking clinical trial at the SCAI 2012 Scientific Sessions.

11 May 2012

BIOTRONIK receives FDA approval for new Lumax 740 ICDs and CRT devices

BIOTRONIK, a leading manufacturer of innovative medical technology, has received FDA approval of its new Lumax 740 implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices (CRT-Ds). Lumax 740 helps physicians monitor and treat their patients' arrhythmias and heart failure under ever-changing medical conditions.

11 May 2012

Prototype device would help obese patients breathe during medical procedures

The best doctors strive to relieve their patients' burdens. A physician in Houston asked Rice University students to help him do so in the most literal way. A team of bioengineering seniors built a prototype device to literally lift the weight from obese patients who, while undergoing surgical procedures, might otherwise have trouble breathing.

10 May 2012

New report provides detailed criteria for rational and timely use of cardiac catheterization

A new report issued today by the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) in collaboration with a dozen other professional societies provides detailed criteria to help clinicians determine when cardiac catheterization is a reasonable option for the evaluation of patients for heart disease.

10 May 2012

Hot sauce ingredient could play a role in future of weight loss

According to research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), the ingredient that gives hot sauce its heat could play a role in the future of weight loss.

10 May 2012