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(HealthDay) -- An ocular stent that's designed to reduce inner-eye pressure among people with mild or moderate open-angle glaucoma has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-glaucoma-stent.html Ophthalmology Tue, 26 Jun 2012 03:07:30 EST news259898811 (HealthDay) -- Drug-eluting stents (DESs) do not seem to offer advantages over bare-metal stents (BMSs) for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stent implantation, according to research published in the July 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-drug-eluting-stents-advantage-a-fib-patients.html Cardiology Fri, 22 Jun 2012 15:20:01 EST news259593127 Heart transplant patients are notorious for developing an aggressive form of coronary artery disease that can often result in heart failure, death or the need for repeat transplantation. The condition can also have a negative impact on future cardiac procedures, such as stenting. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-survival-heart-transplant-patients-arteries.html Cardiology Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:33:07 EST news259255974 (HealthDay) -- For younger adults with premature coronary artery disease (CAD), percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with excellent short- and long-term outcomes, according to a study published in the June 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-pci-excellent-outcomes-younger-adults.html Cardiology Wed, 06 Jun 2012 13:50:10 EST news258207849 Life saving primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) treatment is increasing in countries participating in the Stent for Life Initiative. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-life-saving-primary-pci-stent-life.html Cardiology Wed, 16 May 2012 12:27:53 EST news256390065 (HealthDay) -- The blockbuster drug Plavix (clopidogrel), used to prevent clotting in some heart patients, will go off patent in the United States on Thursday, making it considerably more affordable. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-plavix-status-boon-patients.html Medications Tue, 15 May 2012 16:20:01 EST news256316529 (HealthDay) -- For patients who undergo sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) implantation, use of statin therapy is associated with a reduced risk of late target lesion revascularization (TLR), according to a study published in the May 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-post-ses-implantation-statins-late-revascularization.html Cardiology Sat, 12 May 2012 13:37:17 EST news256048624 (HealthDay) -- Doctors and patients need to be aware of the potential risk of injuries and death associated with an experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis called liberation therapy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in an alert issued Thursday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-fda-issues-controversial-ms-treatment.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 10 May 2012 17:10:01 EST news255884974 Heart attack patients in North Carolina who were rushed directly to hospitals equipped to do percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) received treatment significantly faster than patients first taken to hospitals unequipped to perform PCI and then later transferred for treatment, according to research reported at the American Heart Association's Quality of Care and Outcomes Research 2012 Scientific Sessions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-heart-patients-pci-hospitals-faster.html Cardiology Thu, 10 May 2012 13:15:47 EST news255874541 (HealthDay) -- New long-term research now suggests that fully biodegradable stents are safe to use in heart arteries. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-dissolvable-heart-artery-stents-safe.html Cardiology Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:24:27 EST news253815859 (HealthDay) -- Meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) suggests that drug-eluting stents (DESs) significantly reduce repeat revascularizations, with no increase in stent thrombosis (ST), mortality, or recurrent myocardial infarction, but data from observational studies indicate an increased risk of ST with DES use, according to research published in the April 1 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-good-long-term-outcomes-drug-eluting-stents.html Cardiology Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:46:11 EST news252762346 The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) today announced the initiation of the HORIZONS-AMI II randomized trial, evaluating Promus Element platinum-chromium everolimus-eluting stents versus Omega bare-metal stents in patients with heart attack undergoing primary angioplasty with bivalirudin anticoagulation. The HORIZONS-AMI II trial will also investigate the chronic use of the antiplatelet medications prasugrel versus clopidogrel in patients free of major events at 30 days. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-cardiovascular-foundation-horizons-ami-ii-clinical.html Cardiology Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:58:18 EST news252060971 Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital discovered that blockages in the right coronary artery and those in bending areas of the coronary artery are the most common places for dissection, a tear in the artery that can occur during balloon angioplasty of the coronary arteries. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-coronary-angioplasty-affect-patient-outcomes.html Cardiology Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:02:18 EST news251834527 Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), also known as coronary angioplasty or angioplasty, is a procedure used to treat acute coronary syndromes. PCI involves opening a blocked blood vessel by threading and inflating a balloon-tipped tube into the vessel. Sometimes a stent is also inserted to keep the blood vessel open. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-complications-patients-percutaneous-coronary-intervention.html Cardiology Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:01:40 EST news251834480 A new comparison of the procedures to help prevent strokes by removing or relieving blockages in the arteries of the neck concludes they are equally effective at halting repeat blockage. Two years after treatment with either surgery or a minimally invasive treatment using wire coils called stents, the re-blockage rate remained the same, approximately six percent. Results of the analysis were detailed in a presentation at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference today in New Orleans. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-re-blockage-stented-surgically-opened-arteries.html Cardiology Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:50:01 EST news247314310 Allergies to Plavix, also know by its chemical name, Clopidogrel occur in about six percent of patients given the drug, vital for the prevention of life-threatening stent thrombosis after angioplasty and percutaneous coronary interventions. Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University found that a combination of steroids and antihistamines can successfully alleviate the allergic reaction and enable patients to remain on the drug. Until now, hypersensitivity required drug interruption, placing the patient at risk for restenosis or a major coronary event. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-allergy-plavix.html Medications Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:03:27 EST news245934198 Placing a stent in a key artery in the neck is safer than ever in patients ineligible for the standard surgical treatment of carotid artery disease, according to a new study published online today in the Journal of Vascular Surgery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-stenting-safer-high-risk-patients.html Cardiology Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:22:03 EST news245521317 A registry -which includes every patient in Sweden having percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for the treatment of acute and stable coronary artery disease- has found that PCI implantations using a new generation of drug-eluting stents is associated with lower rates of relapse (restenosis), stent thrombosis and subsequent mortality than older generation drug-eluting stents and bare-metal stents.(1) http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-real-world-reassuring-scaar-registry.html Cardiology Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:42:28 EST news245306525 (Medical Xpress) -- A new study led by University at Albany School of Public Health Distinguished Professor Emeritus Edward L. Hannan finds a link between higher mortality rates and incomplete revascularization procedures for patients suffering from multivessel disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-multivessel-mortality.html Cardiology Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:50:01 EST news244359475 Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that a certain type of genetic testing (for the genotype CYP2C19) be considered before prescribing the drug clopidogrel to identify individuals who may be less responsive to the medication, a review and analysis of previous studies did not find an overall significant association between the CYP2C19 genotype and cardiovascular events, according to a study in the December 28 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-analysis-genetic-anti-clotting-drug.html Genetics Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:00:01 EST news244196798 Physician preferences and hospital characteristics influence the type of procedures performed on blockages of the heart, leading to significant variations in rates of bypass, stent or angioplasty procedures, found an article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-variations-cardiac-procedures-physician-hospital.html Cardiology Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:48:46 EST news242916517 Brain aneurysms are balloon-like out-pouchings that can develop off of brain arteries. Like balloons, these out-pouchings can burst causing a devastating type of stroke as blood leaks in and around the brain. Many years ago brain aneurysms could only be treated with a major, invasive surgical procedure that involved opening the skull and working around the folds of the brain to place a metal clip across the base of the aneurysm. This procedure usually took several hours, required a hospital stay of about a week and often left patients out of work for several weeks. In recent years, minimally invasive brain aneurysm treatment called aneurysm coil embolization or aneurysm coiling has become increasingly popular. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-12-medical-minute-pipes-brain-treatment.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:09:50 EST news242636979 A drug-coated balloon inserted in a narrowed bare metal stent is a promising therapy for restoring blood flow, according to research (Abstract 10244) presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-drug-eluting-balloons-tool-treatment-narrowed.html Cardiology Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:43:52 EST news240659023 An oral anti-clotting drug, when added to standard medical treatment for acute coronary syndrome, lowered the risk of death, heart attack or stroke an average of 16 percent, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-anti-clotting-drug-lowers-acute-coronary.html Cardiology Mon, 14 Nov 2011 09:32:56 EST news240485566 The TWENTE clinical trial, which compared two second generation drug-eluting stents – zotarolimus and everolimus-eluting stents – established non-inferiority between the two stents as measured by the primary endpoint: target vessel failure (TVF) at one year. Both stents also demonstrated low rates of stent thrombosis. Trial results were presented today at the 23rd annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-results-twente-trial-tct.html Cardiology Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:54:53 EST news240260078 A clinical trial of patients with diabetes has demonstrated that cryoplasty post-dilitation compared to conventional balloon angioplasty in the superficial femoral artery (SFA) decreased the risk of in-stent restenosis (ISR). Results from the COBRA clinical trial were presented today at the 23rd Annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-results-cobra-trial-tct.html Cardiology Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:54:27 EST news240260061 A clinical trial that compared the use of drug-eluting balloons (DEB) and bare metal stents (BMS) to both bare metal stents alone and drug-eluting stents (DES) found that the drug-eluting balloon group did not meet the primary endpoint of reduced late lumen loss. Results of the DEB-AMI (Drug Eluting Balloon in Acute Myocardial Infarction) trial were presented today at the 23rd annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-results-deb-ami-trial-tct.html Cardiology Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:08:28 EST news240167282 A new device that combines two microimaging technologies can reveal both the detailed anatomy of arterial linings and biological activities that, in coronary arteries, could indicate the risk of heart attacks or the formation of clots in arterial stents. In their report receiving early online release in Nature Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators describe using an intra-arterial catheter combining both optical frequency-domain imaging (OFDI) and near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging to obtain simultaneous structural and molecular images of internal arterial surfaces in rabbits. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-combined-arterial-imaging-technology-reveals.html Medical research Sun, 06 Nov 2011 13:20:01 EST news239807146 Implanted stents can reopen obstructed arteries, but regrowth of cells into the vessel wall can entail restenosis. Research at LMU now shows that an antimicrobial peptide inhibits restenosis and promotes vascular healing. Thus, coating stents with this peptide could increase their clinical efficacy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-effective-lifetime-stents.html Medical research Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:24:00 EST news237119008 Your doctor gives you an expensive new drug to control your cholesterol, or recommends a certain brand of artificial hip, or says you need a stent to open a clogged artery. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-patients-doctors-paid-drug-firms.html Health Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:36:28 EST news234786963