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.

How AI can boost care for female heart attack patients

Researchers used data from more than 420,000 patients to develop a new AI-powered risk score that could help women receive much better care. 

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ACC, AHA work to standardize the way cardiologists and their colleagues talk about chest pain

The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association have collaborated on a new update to the much-discussed 2021 chest pain guidelines. The American College of Emergency Physicians and Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions also contributed to the document.

Dual antiplatelet therapy after CABG linked to a key benefit—and a key risk

A two-medication strategy after CABG surgery reduces the risk that grafts will fail, but it also increases the risk of serious bleeding. As one surgeon said, "the benefit comes at a price.”

Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, director of Mount Sinai Heart and general director of the Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research

Polypill strategy improves odds of survival after a heart attack

The new findings, presented during ESC Congress 2022 and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that prescribing these new-look pills to heart patients could boost outcomes while also improving medication adherence.

USPSTF highlights the benefits of statin use among high-risk CVD patients in new recommendations

The USPSTF recommends statin use for high-risk patients between the ages of 40 to 75 to help prevent a first heart attack or stroke. Other patients in that same age group may also benefit, the group noted, but physician input is needed. 

Dyad Medical Echo:Prio FDA

Regulatory Roundup: FDA approves new-look self-expanding stent, clears 2 advanced AI models

The FDA has had a busy month, overseeing the recall of nearly 88,000 implantable cardiac devices, juggling the continued rise of monkeypox cases in the United States and maintaining an active Breakthrough Devices program. This rundown covers some of the agency's biggest moves during that time. 

Onyx Frontier drug-eluting stent Medtronic FDA approval CE mark approval

Medtronic launches updated drug-eluting coronary stent system

The news comes after the Onyx Frontier DES gained CE mark approval. It received FDA approval in May.

Jianyi "Jay" Zhang, MD, PhD, is leading research on growing new heart muscle cells

Researchers receive $11.2M to study how the heart recovers from significant damage

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, awarded the funds to three research teams.