Women receive less evidence-based therapies for CAD, researchers found, but they have a better long-term survival advantage after undergoing PCI compared to men.

The authors tracked data from more than 400 SCAD patients, sharing their findings in Heart.

Rather than a binary choice—atherectomy or lithotripsy—the market for treating severely calcified lesions seems likely to evolve into a mixture of both technologies. That, in fact, is already occurring. One strategy gaining currency among interventionalists, particularly those in Europe, is to try a high-pressure balloon first in cases of moderately severe calcification and, if the device fails to fully expand, re-enter the vessel with atherectomy. 

PCI may be seen as a "reasonable alternative to CABG" for many elderly patients, the research team observed. 

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions is the latest industry organization to show its support of the new legislation. 

Researchers examined data from nearly 1,200 PCI patients, sharing their findings in JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions.

The findings could represent a significant change in patient care, specialists wrote, but "femoral believers" may not be swayed until additional data can be reviewed. 

Exploring data from nearly 6,000 STEMI patients, the study's authors aimed to learn more about the impact of immediate vs. delayed PCI.