Smoking cessation appears to be comparable to the use of three targeted drugs in warding off future major cardiovascular events in smokers with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), according to a new study. According to data from six large, prospective randomized trials, patients would gain, on average, 4.8 years free of a myocardial infarction (MI) or […]
Health News
The short interfering RNA (siRNA) agent SLN360 was well tolerated and lowered lipoprotein(a) by up to 98% in volunteers without cardiovascular disease but with elevated Lp(a) in the small dose-ranging APOLLO trial. Following a single subcutaneous dose of SLN360 (Silence Therapeutics), there was a dose-dependent reduction in Lp(a) plasma levels by a median of 46%, […]
Conference News
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to a first-of-its-kind test that can detect SARS-CoV-2 in the breath in less than 3 minutes. The COVID-19 Breathalyzer test (InspectIR Systems, LLC) will be available only in licensed test settings, therefore it is not currently meant for home use. That’s one […]
COVID-19 Study Updates
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) — Pembrolizumab as adjuvant therapy for patients with resected, high-risk stage-IIB or -IIC melanoma appears to reduce the risk of disease recurrence or death, according to interim analyses from the KEYNOTE-716 trial. “These data indicate that adjuvant therapy with pembrolizumab might become a treatment option for patients with resected stage IIB or […]
Health News
In an unselected population of patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), the pentaspline pulsed field ablation (PFA) catheter achieved pulmonary vein isolation with 99.9% success and good procedure times. Presenting the results of the Multi-national Survey on Methods, Efficacy and Safety on the Post-approval Clinical Use of Pulsed Field Ablation (MANIFEST-PF), Vivek Reddy, MD, Mount […]
Medical News
Significant numbers of U.S. patients with COVID-19 who were not sick enough to be hospitalized were inappropriately prescribed antibiotics or steroids in 2020 and 2021, according to two studies published on Friday in JAMA. One study found that between April 2020 and April 2021, antibiotic prescriptions were written during 30% of outpatient visits for COVID-19 […]
COVID-19 Study Updates
Transit Scientific announced US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance of its XO Cross Support Catheter platform to include coronary use. The platform is indicated to guide and support guidewire access, allow guidewire exchanges, and deliver saline or contrast agents during coronary or peripheral vascular interventions. Transit Scientific will launch the 2-F coronary XO […]
FDA Approvals
The drug-coated balloon (DCB) for peripheral interventions had its share of troubles in recent years before making a comeback, with the field of available devices perhaps even poised for expansion. In a randomized trial, an investigational paclitaxel-coated DCB with both a quirky design and confectionery name achieved achieved better patency outcomes in femoropopliteal lesions, with […]
Conference News
Radiofrequency renal denervation provided progressive reductions in blood pressure at 3 years in patients on antihypertensive medication but this did not translate into fewer antihypertensive drugs, new results from the SPYRAL HTN-ON MED trial show. At 36 months, 24-hour ambulatory systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 10.0 mm Hg (PÂ = .003) and 5.9 mm Hg […]
Cardiology News