Dual-energy (DE) CT iodine maps offer a slight benefit when paired with traditional CT angiography images in diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE), reported researchers in a Sept. 11 Radiology study.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the FDA said late last week a second toxin that may cause cancer has been detected in valsartan—a common heart drug that has already been recalled in about two dozen countries due to the presence of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a probable human carcinogen.

Optimal candidates for a switch from vitamin K antagonists like warfarin to direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have long been identified by a single statistic—time-in-therapeutic range—but a recent Danish analysis of anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation patients suggests the marker might be less insightful than previously thought.

The FDA has approved the PK Papyrus covered coronary stent system to treat acute coronary artery perforations, device maker Biotronik announced Sept. 14. It is the first device to be approved by the FDA for this indication in 17 years.

Visual estimations of the completeness of revascularization failed to predict subsequent cardiovascular events for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) who underwent stenting guided by fractional flow reserve (FFR), researchers reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The American Heart Association has tightened its guidelines for diagnosing resistant hypertension—a condition that affects up to 15 percent of patients treated for high blood pressure—according to a scientific statement published this month.

Sustained elevated blood pressure can increase a patient’s risk for both aortic valve stenosis and aortic regurgitation, according to an analysis of 5.4 million non-CVD patients in the U.K.

Scientists have developed a wearable ultrasound device to measure central blood pressure (BP). It performed as well as a current noninvasive technique upon testing, according to a press release.