Major cardiology associations joined forces to define and standardize what exactly constitutes a heart attack, differentiating between myocardial infarction (MI) and “myocardial injury” while offering guidance on how to incorporate emerging imaging techniques and high-sensitivity troponin assays.

Combining oral anticoagulants with antiplatelet therapy in atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients could be more than just overkill, University of Edinburgh researchers reported at the European Society of Cardiology’s annual meeting this month. It could be dangerous, increasing the risk for all-cause death, stroke and major bleeding events in those without an indication for dual treatment.

Despite its relative rarity in clinical practice, the Ross procedure provides a survival benefit over mechanical aortic valve replacement in young and middle-aged patients, suggests a meta-analysis published in JAMA Cardiology and presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress in Munich.

Middle-aged men and women with psychological conditions such as anxiety and depression are likely at an increased risk for cardiovascular complications, according to research out of Australia.

Oregon’s only heart transplant program has suspended operations for at least two weeks after three cardiologists either left or announced plans to leave Oregon Health & Science University, The Oregonian reported Aug. 27.

DUBLIN and MUNICH — August 28, 2018 — Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT) today announced new findings from the CRYO4PERSISTENT AF clinical trial demonstrating improved quality of life, reduced symptoms from abnormal heart rhythms, and low incidence of reinterventions and repeat ablation procedures.

Among 477,516 people in the Kaiser Permanente Southern California health system who were treated for high blood pressure, those who reached systolic blood pressure below 110 mm Hg at any point during a one-year period were twice as likely to faint or fall as patients who remained above that threshold.

Though it’s used routinely to discourage repeat cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, a daily dose of aspirin is unlikely to prevent a first-time heart attack, according to research presented this week in Munich.