Excessive stress may still be harmful to a surgeon's performance, researchers warned, but moderate stress early on during a procedure appears to reduce the odds of a major complication. 

RBBB remains the single strongest predictor for PPMI after TAVR, but high AV calcium scores still provide care teams with considerable value.

The final list also included diabetes drugs sold by Boehringer Ingelheim and Merck. The first round of drug price negotiations reduced the Medicare prices for 10 popular drugs by up to 79%. 

Some of the claims in the lawsuit, brought against Novant Health by Kyle Horton, MD, are backed by a report from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. 

"TAVR has been associated with better valve hemodynamics and a lower risk of structural valve deterioration over time compared with SAVR," researchers wrote. "This benefit may be particularly relevant for diabetes patients who face higher risks of vascular complications."