Vascular & Endovascular

This channel includes news on non-coronary vascular disease and therapies. These include peripheral artery disease (PAD), abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysm (AAA and TAA), aortic dissection, pulmonary embolism (PE), critical limb ischemia (CLI), carotid artery and stroke interventions, venous interventions, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and interventional radiology therapies. The focus on most of these therapies is minimally invasive, catheter-based procedures performed in a cath lab.

Researchers: Urban, rural hospitals should have different standards for acute stroke care

Three physicians published an editorial in Stroke proposing that tertiary healthcare centers in cities be held to stricter standards for performing endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) than their rural counterparts.

Quitting smoking is easier when couples try together

When couples attended smoking cessation programs together, their odds of quitting were nearly six times higher than for people who attempted to kick the habit alone, according to preliminary research presented April 12 at EuroPrevent 2019.

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Thrombectomy offers survival benefit for acute stroke

Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) significantly reduced the risk of 90-day mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke compared to medical therapy alone, according to a meta-analysis of 10 randomized trials cited in the 2018 update to American stroke guidelines.

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Real-world Watchman results hold up at 2 years

Left atrial appendage (LAA) closure with the Watchman device was associated with low rates of stroke and bleeding events in high-risk atrial fibrillation patients over a two-year follow-up period, according to a real-world analysis published April 3 in Circulation: Electrophysiology and Arrhythmia.

Apixaban linked to best outcomes in older patients with AFib, heart failure

Compared to warfarin, all direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) were associated with fewer cardiovascular events including heart attacks and strokes in a study of Medicare patients with both nonvalvular atrial fibrillation and heart failure. But apixaban appeared to offer the best balance of protecting against these events while minimizing bleeding risk.

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Should interventional cardiologists be involved in acute stroke care?

Two papers published March 25 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology make the case for training other interventionalists, including cardiologists, in performing mechanical thrombectomy to increase access to the emergency stroke treatment.

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Drones fly blood samples around NC hospital campus

A hospital system in North Carolina launched on March 26 the first Federal Aviation Administration-sanctioned program allowing drones to make routine commercial package deliveries. Blood samples will be flown one-third of a mile from one WakeMed Health and Hospitals facility to another building on its Raleigh campus at least 30 times per week, the Associated Press reported.

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Ambulance transport policies for stroke patients differ by state

While accident victims in the U.S. are uniformly taken directly to the most advanced trauma center nearby, the protocols for where to shuttle stroke patients vary widely by state, according to a recent article by Stateline.