DUBLIN — May 16, 2018 — Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT) today announced the initiation of a clinical study in the U.S. to assess the safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stents (DES) for the treatment of bifurcation lesions, which account for approximately 20 percent of all percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI).

PASADENA, Calif., May 16, 2018 — The FH Foundation, a leading research and advocacy organization, today announced the launch of a new research study that aims to understand the willingness for individuals with a clinical diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and their family members to undergo confirmatory genetic testing, through a partnership with Color Genomics.

Fetuses exposed to higher levels of air pollution during their mother’s third trimester of pregnancy have a higher risk of elevated blood pressure in childhood, according to a new study published online May 14 in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension.

Using data from the randomized COURAGE trial, a team of researchers developed a model to predict one-year angina and quality-of-life outcomes among patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

Researchers have identified a genetic variant that may predispose individuals to alcoholic cardiomyopathy (ACM), possibly opening the door for genetic testing and familial evaluation.

Watchman-related thrombi developed in 3.7 percent of patients who were implanted with the device, resulting in a threefold risk of stroke or systemic embolism, according to a meta-analysis of clinical trials and registries published online May 11 in Circulation.

People with high concentrations of lipoprotein(a) in their blood may not get the same preventive benefit from statins, even if their LDL cholesterol is effectively lowered with the medication.

Preliminary research presented May 11 at the American Heart Association’s Vascular Discovery: From Genes to Medicine Scientific Sessions 2018, suggests an injection may one day be able to reverse atherosclerosis.