Acute Coronary Syndromes

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is most commonly caused by a heart attack (myocardial infarction) where blood flow to the heart is suddenly blocked. This is usually caused by a blood clot from a ruptured coronary artery atherosclerotic plaque. Other causes include spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), which most commonly occurs in women. ACS is usually treated in a cath lab with angioplasty and the placement of a stent to prop the vessel open.

Radial vs. femoral access during PCI: Real-world data show proof of a ‘sea change’ in cardiology
The use of radial access during PCI procedures is increasing throughout the United States, and new data presented at the SCAI's annual meeting suggest that could be beneficial for patients.
PAD patients face greater risk of death, complications after a heart attack
PAD and CLI patients who show signs of coronary heart disease may benefit from early treatment, according to a new study of nearly 4 million hospitalizations.
ChatGPT struggles to evaluate heart risk—but it could still help cardiologists
Relying on the AI-powered chatbot for heart assessments could be "dangerous," researchers warn, but the technology may still be helpful in certain situations.
Statin therapy may help HFpEF patients lower their risk of death, heart attack or stroke
All participants were free of ASCVD and had no history of statin use at the start of the study.
$Performing CT-derived fractional flow reserve (CT-FFR) before transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) improves the accuracy of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) and helps limit unneeded invasive coronary angiography (ICA), according to a new study published in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions. Heartflow$
New cardiac imaging strategy could reduce ICA, PCI rates
Radiologists with Massachusetts General Hospital found that the selective use of cardiac CT and AI-based CAD evaluations could make a significant impact on patient care.

Elderly patient doctor. Despite an expanded indication from the FDA and lower prices, patient access to these cholesterol-lowering medications remains a significant issue.

New details on the link between CVD and cancer, from a study of 27M patients

According to the large new study, published in JACC: CardioOncology, atherosclerotic CVD is associated with an especially high risk of cancer.

April 18, 2023

HeartFlow announces US launch of AI-powered solution for evaluating coronary arteries

The AI-powered tool gained FDA clearance back in October 2022.

April 18, 2023

American Heart Association and Joint Commission launch new Comprehensive Heart Attack Center certification.

ACS and revascularization after TAVR: New data on a high-risk scenario

“It is vital to identify patients who are at a high risk for ACS after TAVR for potential treatment beforehand,” according a new analysis published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

April 17, 2023

Clopidogrel linked to better long-term outcomes than aspirin in PCI patients with and without diabetes

Clopidogrel is especially effective at limiting major adverse cardiovascular events among PCI patients with diabetes, researchers found.

April 13, 2023

An example of the FFR-CT technology from Heartflow. The vendor's AI can take a patient's cardiac CT scan and non-invasively assess FFR hemodynamic flow for all the coronary arteries to determine if blockages are significant enough to require revascularization. Photo by Dave Fornell

HeartFlow raises $215M to keep up with growing demand

The company is still riding the momentum of its technology being included in the 2021 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association chest pain guidelines.

April 7, 2023

FDA announces third recall of 2023 for troubled heart devices

This latest recall is due to a heightened risk that the devices will stop working with no warning. There have been 42 customer complaints reported so far.

April 3, 2023

CE mark suspended for troubled heart devices due to ongoing issues

The devices have been hit with multiple recalls in recent months. Those issues are now impacting sales outside of the United States as well.

March 31, 2023

cardiovascular risk infectious disease hospitalization

Internal infections serious enough to require hospitalization raise 30-day CVD risk: 2-country, multicohort study

Patients hospitalized for severe infectious diseases are at heightened risk of major cardiovascular-disease events within a month of admission date.

March 27, 2023

Acute Coronary Syndromes

Radial vs. femoral access during PCI: Real-world data show proof of a ‘sea change’ in cardiology

PAD patients face greater risk of death, complications after a heart attack

ChatGPT struggles to evaluate heart risk—but it could still help cardiologists

Statin therapy may help HFpEF patients lower their risk of death, heart attack or stroke

New cardiac imaging strategy could reduce ICA, PCI rates