Clinical

This channel newsfeed includes clinical content on treating patients or the clinical implications in a variety of cardiac subspecialties and disease states. The channel includes news on cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology, heart failure, electrophysiology, hypertension, structural heart disease, use of pharmaceuticals, and COVID-19.

Report: UnitedHealth rewarded nursing homes for delaying hospital transfers
Citing evidence from documents and interviews, the Guardian released an exposé accusing UnitedHealth of directly influencing the day-to-day operations of some 2,000 nursing homes, resulting in patients not receiving necessary emergency care.
FDA wants new heart damage warnings added to COVID-19 vaccines
COVID-19 vaccines are associated with a very low risk of myocarditis and/or pericarditis, primarily in young adults. The long-term impact of this risk has been the subject of many studies and debates over the years; one side says that the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks, and the other side says that even the smallest risk of heart damage is too high.
Early TAVR or SAVR in asymptomatic patients linked to improved survival, reduced costs
Researchers explored data from more than 24,000 AVR patients, presenting their findings at EuroPCR in Paris.
Work begins on first ATTR-CM study of its kind
ACT-EARLY is testing the hypothesis that treating asymptomatic carriers of a pathogenic TTR variant with the drug acoramidis could delay amyloidosis from developing.
FDA outlines stricter ‘evidence-based approach’ to COVID vaccinations
The FDA is revising its approach to COVID-19 vaccine approvals, moving away from the previous trend of treating boosters like annual flu shots. Health researcher Vinay Prasad and Commissioner Martin Makary argue in the New England Journal of Medicine for more rigorous data requirements and additional clinical studies to justify future inoculations for those under 65.

A milestone for Medtronic: Low-risk TAVR patients treated with Evolut ‘doing exceptionally well’ after 2 years

The two-year rates of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke were 4.3% for TAVR patients and 6.3% for SAVR patients.

Abbott’s new self-expanding TAVR system gains CE mark approval

The solution has still only been approved in the United States for investigational use.

Finerenone limits AFib in patients with chronic kidney disease, Type 2 diabetes

This secondary analysis of data from the FIDELIO-DKD trial was presented May 17 at ACC.21 and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Alcohol—even just one drink—increases the risk of AFib

The study's authors believe they are the first group to investigate the real-time relationship between alcohol consumption and AFib events.

Full COVID-19 vaccination to be required at HIMSS21 in Las Vegas

The new requirement covers all attendees, including exhibitors and HIMSS employees. The organization is still determining how it will validate each person's status.

The greatest benefit: Omecamtiv mecarbil improves outcomes the most for patients with severe heart failure

Researchers explored data from the GALACTIC-HF trial to evaluate how the severity of a patient's reduced ejection fraction impacts the benefits of omecamtiv mecarbil.

LAAO significantly lowers the risk of stroke after surgery among heart rhythm patients

“This is a procedure that’s done once, and it keeps giving a benefit over time,” one researcher said. “This is going to prevent thousands of strokes.”

FDA announces recall of more than 60,000 Abbott pacemakers due to risk of electrical short

The FDA has received complaints about 135 injuries so far.

Clinical

Report: UnitedHealth rewarded nursing homes for delaying hospital transfers

FDA wants new heart damage warnings added to COVID-19 vaccines

Early TAVR or SAVR in asymptomatic patients linked to improved survival, reduced costs

Work begins on first ATTR-CM study of its kind

FDA outlines stricter ‘evidence-based approach’ to COVID vaccinations