World-Renowned Interventional Cardiologist Establishes Structural Heart Disease Research Fund in Honor of Late Wife

William O’Neill, M.D., director of the Center for Structural Heart Disease at Henry Ford Health System, has donated $1 million to establish the Carol S. O’Neill Structural Heart Disease Research Fund at Henry Ford Health System in honor of his late wife, Carol, who passed away in 2019.

Heart Valve Collaboratory Announces U.S. Food and Drug Administration Participation in Collaborative Community

The Heart Valve Collaboratory (HVC) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) will participate in this “collaborative community”. A medical “collaboratory” is a forum in which multidisciplinary private and public sector members work together on medical device challenges to achieve aligned outcomes, solve shared problems, and leverage collective opportunities, in the interest of improving patient care.

American Heart Month: FSU experts available to comment on heart disease topics

By: Kelsey Klopfenstein | Published: February 3, 2021 | 1:14 pm | SHARE: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Someone has a heart attack every 39 seconds, and cardiovascular disease claims more lives each year than all forms of cancer combined, according to the American Heart Association’s 2021 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update.

CRF Offers Free Online Seminar to Help People Jump-Start their Heart Health During Heart Month

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) will hold a free online seminar, The Big Three: High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, and Diabetes, at 12:00 PM ET on February 22, 2021 hosted by Drs. Nisha Jhalani and Sonia Tolani, cardiologists from NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The seminar is part of a series of “Mini Med Schools” conducted by the CRF Women’s Heart Health Initiative (WHHI), which empowers women with everyday tools they can use to defy heart disease.

Heart Disease and COVID-19: Focusing on Exercise, Mental Health, and Nutrition are Critical for High-Risk Groups

February is American Heart Month and cardiologists from the Mount Sinai Health System are sharing tips on heart disease prevention to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke, and COVID-19.

Coconut Oil’s Benefits to Alzheimer’s Ignored in N.Y. Times Attack, Says Dr. Leslie Norins of MCI911.com

Although cardiologists often decry coconut oil because of certain fats it contains, they overlook the growing evidence that other fatty constituents, especially medium-chain triglycerides, may alleviate some cases of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease

Free Access to TCT Connect Extended for One Year

All educational programming from TCT Connect will be available to registrants for free through October 18, 2021. TCT is the annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) and the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

Statins can save lives, are they being used?

People who have coronary artery disease, stroke or peripheral artery disease often are prescribed a statin, a cholesterol-lowering drug that reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke.In a recent publication in JAMA Network Open, Mayo Clinic researchers identify trends in statin use across the U.S. among people with these diseases, as well as among those who already had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Their data indicate that only about 60% of patients are getting the recommended therapy.

CTO 2021 Is Now an Online Event: CTO Connect

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) has announced that the 2021 Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO) Summit will now take place as a virtual event called CTO Connect. It will take place online February 20-21, 2021.

The conference will feature live case transmissions performed by some of the world’s leading operators along with real-time analysis from world-class faculty members. Live and on-demand sessions will also highlight engaging case-based discussions, challenging cases, and the latest technical developments and refinements in CTO PCI.

Mount Sinai’s Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Honored by Thai Royal Family for Outstanding Medical Contributions

Thailand’s Royal Family has named Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital, a winner of the 29th annual Prince Mahidol Award in the field of Medicine.

All Weight Loss Isn’t Equal For Reducing Heart Failure Risk

DALLAS – Nov. 9, 2020 – Reducing the level of body fat and waist size are linked to a lower risk of heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes, a study led by UT Southwestern researchers indicates. The findings, reported today in Circulation, suggest that all weight loss isn’t equal when it comes to mitigating the risk of heart disease.

Randomized Trial Reports Outcomes with Novel, Low Profile Fixed-Wire Drug-Eluting Stent that Facilitates Transradial Access

The OPTIMIZE randomized trial comparing a novel, low-profile drug-eluting stent (DES) facilitating transradial access (TR) and direct stenting (DS) to existing DES did not establish non-inferiority of the new stent based on the prespecified study statistical analysis plan, likely due to the definition of periprocedural target vessel myocardial infarction (TVMI) coupled with a large proportion of high-sensitive cardiac troponin assays used in the trial.

Randomized Trial Comparing a Nano-Coated Coronary Stent and Shorter DAPT Did Not Meet Non-Inferiority Criteria for Thrombotic Events

For patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) that also require oral anticoagulation, treatment with a nanotechnology polymer-coated stent plus 14-day dual anti-platelet therapy (DAPT) did not reduce bleeding or establish non-inferior outcomes for thrombotic events compared with a drug-eluting stent (DES) and standard three or six-month DAPT therapy.

Deferral of PCI in FFR-Abnormal Lesions with Preserved Coronary Flow Reserve Is Not Associated with Similar Outcomes as Untreated Lesions with Normal FFR

A new observational study of deferred lesions following combined fractional flow reserve (FFR) and coronary flow reserve (CFR) assessments found that untreated vessels with abnormal FFR but intact CFR do not have non-inferior outcomes compared to those with an FFR greater than 0.8 and a CFR greater than or equal to two when treated medically.

Physiology-guided Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Optimization Strategy May Lead to Improved Outcomes

Results from the randomized controlled TARGET FFR trial show that while a physiology-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) optimization strategy did not achieve a significant increase in the proportion of patients with final FFR ≥0.90, it reduced the proportion of patients with a residual FFR ≤0.80 following PCI.

Fractional Flow Reserve Derived from Computed Tomography Coronary Angiography Did Not Significantly Reduce Costs But Reduced Rates of Invasive Coronary Angiography

In the FORECAST randomized clinical trial, the use of fractional flow reserve management derived from computed tomography (FFRCT) did not significantly reduce costs but did reduce the use of invasive coronary angiography (ICA).

Trial Finds that Interventional Closure of Residual Atrial Septal Defect One-Month Post Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair Was Not Superior to Medical Treatment

The MITHRAS randomized clinical trial found that interventional closure of an iatrogenic atrial septal defect (iASD) driven by transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) was not superior to conservative medical treatment with regard to the primary endpoint of change in six-minute walking distance.

Randomized Trial Studies Device Designed to Reduce Embolic Events in Patients Undergoing TAVR

The REFLECT II randomized clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of a device designed to reduce cerebral embolization and ischemic stroke, complications of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), found that the device met the primary safety endpoint compared to historical controls but did not demonstrate superiority of the device for the primary hierarchical efficacy endpoint.

Meta-Analysis of Bivalirudin vs. Heparin in Patients with MI Examines Mortality and Bleeding Rates

An individual patient data pooled analysis comparing the use of bivalirudin versus heparin in heart attack patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) found that bivalirudin use was associated with similar overall rates of 30-day mortality across all heart attack patients, but lower rates of serious bleeding events. Moreover, mortality was reduced in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who were treated with a post-PCI bivalirudin infusion.

Combined FFR and OCT Imaging Can Improve Accuracy of High-Risk Lesion Identification in Patients with Diabetes

Data from COMBINE (OCT-FFR) found that the use of FFR combined with OCT imaging can help improve the accuracy of high-risk lesion identification in patients with diabetes. Findings were reported today at TCT Connect, the 32nd annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF). TCT is the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

NIRS-IVUS Imaging Can Help Identify High-Risk Plaques That Can Lead to Adverse Outcomes

ew data from the PROSPECT II study shows that NIRS-IVUS intracoronary imaging can help identify angiographically non-obstructive lesions with high-risk characteristics for future adverse cardiac outcomes. Findings were reported today at TCT Connect, the 32nd annual scientific symposium of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF). TCT is the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine.

Genetic differences in fat shape men and women’s health risks

New findings about body fat help explain the differing health risks men and women face – and set the stage for better, more targeted treatments.

Prevent Severe COVID Symptoms With Lifestyle Changes

Obesity is contributing to worse outcomes in people with COVID-19. Dr. Naomi Parrella, medical director of the Rush Center for Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery, explains how managing your weight can lower your risk for severe COVID symptoms and help you prevent other chronic diseases.

Announcing the TCT Connect Late-Breaking Trials and Science

The Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) has announced over 30 late-breaking trial and science presentations that will be reported at TCT Connect. TCT, the annual scientific symposium of CRF and the world’s premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine, will take place online October 14-18.

Ohio State Study Shows Cardiac MRI Effective in Identifying Myocarditis in Athletes

A cardiac MRI is effective in identifying inflammation of the heart muscle in athletes and can help determine when those who have recovered from COVID-19 can safely return to play in competitive sports, according to a new study by researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

AACC and CDC Partner to Improve Cardiovascular Disease Testing Around the World

AACC, a global scientific and medical professional organization dedicated to better health through laboratory medicine, is pleased to announce a new collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the CDC Foundation that aims to expand lipid testing in resource-limited countries. Improving access to this essential testing could help reduce the high worldwide mortality rate from cardiovascular disease by enabling patients to get treated for this condition earlier.

Protein Mutations Alter Heart Function, Signaling Pathways in Dilated Cardiomyopathy

Article title: Dilated cardiomyopathy mutations in thin-filament regulatory proteins reduce contractility, suppress systolic Ca2+, and activate NFAT and Akt signaling Authors: Paul Robinson, Alexander J. Sparrow, Suketu Patel, Marta Malinowska, Svetlana N. Reilly, Yin-Hua Zhang, Barbara Casadei, Hugh Watkins, Charles Redwood…

Largest pharmacogenetic clinical trial in cardiology shows potential benefit in individualized approach to anti-platelet therapy

ROCHESTER, Minn. ― Heart patients who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or stent placement― nonsurgical procedures to improve blood flow to the heart ― are typically prescribed anti-platelet therapy to avoid blood clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. New research from the international TAILOR-PCI trial, the largest pharmacogenetics clinical trial in cardiology, suggests that genetic testing could potentially be a useful tool to help select antiplatelet medication. Pharmacogenetics is the use of a patient’s genetic makeup in prescribing treatments that are likely to be most successful.

Study Shows Socioeconomic Status Linked to Heart Failure Mortality in United States

A variety of treatments exist to address heart disease, yet it continues to carry a poor prognosis. A new study from University Hospitals showed that a person’s address can help predict their chance of mortality from heart disease.

Clear Link Between Heart Disease and COVID-19, But Long-Term Implications Unknown, Researchers Find in Review of Published Studies

In a prospectus review published this week in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, Kirk U. Knowlton MD, from the Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute in Salt Lake City, examined more than 100 published studies related to COVID-19 and its effects on the heart.