December 31, 2002
J&J's Secret Weapon -- Why is this biotech secret?
An interesting article about Minnesota-based SurModics, the company that makes the coating technology being used for Johnson & Johnson's coated stents.
(source: The Motley Fool)

December 17, 2002
Women, Men Benefit Equally from Angioplasty
Women with heart disease who undergo angioplasty fare as well as their male counterparts when it comes to survival after the procedure, researchers report.
(source: Suzanne Rostler, Reuters Health)

December 17, 2002
Court Denies Cook Motion in Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent Dispute with Boston Scientific
According to this Boston Scientific press release, the courts have denied a motion by Cook related to the October injunction regarding the Cook/Guidant agreements -- a decision impacting the race to market coated or drug-eluting stents in the United States. A somewhat different view of the same court decision is offered in Cook's press release.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation / Cook Inc.)

December 17, 2002
Guidant Completes Enrollment in Clinical Trial to Study Carotid Artery Stenting as Alternative Treatment for High Surgical-Risk Patients
Called ARCHeR (ACCULINK for Revascularization of Carotids in High-Risk Patients), the trial is a prospective, non-randomized, multi-center, single-arm study that treated 513 patients at 41 sites in North and South America. Patients were implanted with Guidant's investigational ACCULINK™ Carotid Stent System, designed specifically for the treatment of atherosclerotic lesions in the internal carotid artery. During the latter phase of the trial, 303 patients were treated with the ACCULINK Stent System in combination with the investigational ACCUNET™ Embolic Protection System, which is designed to trap particles of atherosclerotic plaque during the endovascular stenting procedure.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

December 15, 2002
THE YEAR IN IDEAS; The Fail-Safe Heart Procedure
One of the "ideas" in this year-end NY Times Magazine Feature "The Year in Ideas" was the coated stent.
(source: Sandeep Jauhar, New York Times (free NYT registration required))

December 7, 2002
Accounting Board's Webster Undergoes Heart Treatment
William H. Webster, recently in the news after much controversy resulting in his resignation from the newly created SEC accounting oversight board, said he underwent a coronary angioplasty yesterday after experiencing shortness of breath Thursday night during a tennis game.
(source: Washington Post)

December 5, 2002
Boston Scientific Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Inflow Dynamics Inc.
A press release from the company about their acquisition of a German company that recently presented results of their "Moonlight" trial, showing that their proprietary passive stent coating, Iridium Oxide, brought in-stent restensosis rates to under 12%.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

December 4, 2002
Bypass Surgery Favored Over Stents for Some Patients in Long-Term Comparison
The latest "angioplasty vs. surgery" study, this one a Dutch/Italian study of 102 patients in today's Journal of the American College of Cardiology, shows that "keyhole"-type bypass surgery in a single high-grade lesion of the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) coronary artery may produce more durable long-term results than angioplasty using a stent.. The study does not include data from the newer "coated" stents which, in early results, have shown great reduction in repeat procedures, but it does show that surgery may warrant consideration in patients often recommended for angioplasty.
(source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology)

December 4, 2002
A "Cool" New Addition to Heart Attack Treatment
Another type of interventional device is now being tested -- one that cools the body from the inside-out. A new study demonstrates a practical method for quickly lowering body temperature during angioplasty. Researchers plan to test its potential to reduce heart attack damage. You can read a PDF of the actual study here. You can also find more information about The SetPoint® System used in this study at Radiant Medical's website.
(source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology / Radiant Medical Inc.)

December 3, 2002
Playing Ambulance Roulette
A dramatic article about the use of emergency angioplasty, rather than thombolytic therapy, to treat heart attacks -- "Death rates after 30 days are lower by almost 50 percent. Also, angioplasty results in an open coronary artery 90 percent of the time, compared with 54 percent for thrombolytic drugs." (The New York Times requires readers to register, but it's free.)
(source: Sandeep Jauhar, MD and Norma Keller, MD, New York Times)

December 3, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces Acquisition of Smart Therapeutics, Inc.
What started as cardiovascular devices are now used throughout the body -- neurovascular in this case -- Smart is the maker of the Neuroform™ Microdelivery Stent, an ultra-thin, self-expanding nitinol stent, which is delivered through a micro-catheter and is specially designed to bridge the opening of "wide neck" aneurysms.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

December 2, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces Launch of New Balloon Catheters
A company press release announcing the launch of two new balloon catheters in the United States, the Maverick2™ Monorail™ Coronary Balloon Dilatation Catheter and the Quantum™ Maverick® Coronary Balloon Dilatation Catheter. Both have previously been available internationally and have now been approved by the US FDA.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

November 27, 2002
Guidant Comments on Cook-Boston Scientific Litigation
Court of Appeals Denies Stay of Injunction; Cook to Move Forward with Appeal
(source: Guidant Corporation)

November 27, 2002
Appeals Court Denies Cook's and Guidant's Requests For Stay of Injunction In Paclitaxel-Coated Stent Dispute With Boston Scientific
The latest development in the "stent wars" as announced in a company press release. Also read an article about this subject from Dow Jones.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation / Dow Jones News)

November 22, 2002
Statistics Show 94 Percent Success Rate for HTA® System
At three years, this alternative to hysterectomy has shown to be 94% effective -- this device is another demonstration of the wide-ranging revolution in healthcare that has occurred as a result of interventional medicine.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

November 20, 2002
Tiny Filters reduce risk from procedure to clean up neck arteries
A new study, using Cordis' AngioGuard, suggests that with the use of embolic protection devices (filters) the interventional approach to carotid artery disease may be better than the current "gold standard" of open surgery: carotid endarerectomy. You can read another account of this study from Reuters. The New York Times also has an article about this study (they require registration which is free).
(source: Daniel Q. Haney, AP Medical Editor / Michael Conlon, Reuters / Lawrence K. Altman, New York Times)

November 19, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces Preliminary Fire Trial Results
The company today announced preliminary results from its FIRE clinical trial which studied the Company's FilterWire EX™ Embolic Protection Device. The cumulative incidence of MACE at 30 days was 9.5 percent for patients in the FilterWire EX device arm compared with 11 percent for patients in the arm incorporating the GuardWire Plus device.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

November 18, 2002
Study Backs Longer Post-Angioplasty Therapy; Blood Thinner May Cut Death Risk
Patients who have undergone angioplasty or similar artery-opening procedures cut their risk of death by taking aspirin and a clot-reducing drug (clopidogrel a.k.a. Plavix) for 12 months afterward instead of the currently recommended four weeks, researchers said on Monday. Read another article on this study from Associated Press.
(source: Reuters / Lindsey Tanner, Associated Press)

November 18, 2002
Bone marrow cell transplant treats clogged leg arteries
Bone marrow cells implanted into blood-starved (ischemic) legs formed new blood vessels, increased blood flow and prevented amputation in people with peripheral artery disease, researchers reported today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2002. "This is the first multicenter and double-blind clinical study to prove the clinical efficacy of growing new blood vessels (angiogenesis) using bone marrow cell transplantation," says the study's lead author Hiroya Masaki M.D., Ph.D.
(source: American Heart Association)

November 18, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces 30-Day Safety Data for the Complete Study Population of TAXUS IV Drug-Eluting Stent Clinical Trial
The results supported safety, as demonstrated by overall 30-day MACE (Major Adverse Cardiac Events) rates of only 3.0 percent. Stent thrombosis rates - another early indicator of safety - were less than 0.5 percent. "This is the largest TAXUS study to date, and it reinforces the findings of earlier studies and offers additional preliminary evidence that polymer- based, paclitaxel-eluting stents appear to be a safe treatment for coronary artery disease," said Dr. Stephen Ellis, the trial's Co-Principal Investigator. Read another article on this subject from Reuters.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation / Reuters)

November 17, 2002
Death rates lower in hospitals that follow heart attack guidelines
Heart attack patients at hospitals that lag behind in following treatment guidelines had a one-third greater risk of dying before discharge than patients at "leading" hospitals, according to a study reported today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2002. Death rates ranged from 17.6 percent at "lagging" hospitals (those with low guideline adherence) to 11.9 percent among "leading" hospitals (those with the highest overall guideline adherence).
(source: American Heart Association)

November 17, 2002
Muscle cell transplants repair damaged heart tissue
Researchers safely transplanted 16 patients' skeletal muscle cells into their own severely damaged hearts in the first human testing in the United States, according to a study reported today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2002. "We have been able to regenerate dead heart muscle, or scar tissue, in the area of heart attack without increasing risk of death," says lead author Nabil Dib, M.D., director of cardiovascular research at the Arizona Heart Institute in Phoenix."
(source: American Heart Association)

November 17, 2002
Emergency angioplasty OK without surgical back-up
Survival rates following emergency angioplasty for heart attack are the same regardless of the availability of on-site cardiac surgery, according to research reported today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2002. "This is the largest study to date demonstrating the benefit of immediate angioplasty in acute heart attack patients," says lead researcher Timothy A. Sanborn, M.D., chief of the division of cardiology at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, in Evanston, Ill. You can also read another article on this subject from HealthScout. For more in depth information on the use of emergency angioplasty, read our "Hot Topic" on the subject.
(source: American Heart Association / HealthScout)

November 17, 2002
Engineered blood vessels prove durable and clot resistant
Science fiction becoming fact -- in a study reported today at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2002, researchers have built mechanically sound blood vessels out of tissue from human skin cells. The technique involves tissue engineering, an emerging science that takes cells from the body, manipulates them in the laboratory to create functional tissue, and puts the new tissue back into the patient. The result could be new blood vessels for use in heart bypass operations -- vessels that would be built from a person's own cells and therefore not rejected by the body's immune system.
(source: American Heart Association)

November 15, 2002
Guidant gets permission to show FDA its stent data
The company said on Friday that a U.S. judge has ruled that the medical device maker has permission to submit to U.S. regulators data about a key new heart disease treatment that has been entangled in a licensing dispute with rival Boston Scientific Corp.
(source: Susan Nadeau, Reuters)

November 14, 2002
Additional Results From TAXUS Drug-Eluting Stent Clinical Trials to be Presented at AHA
Thirty-day safety data for the complete study population of the TAXUS IV trial will be presented, as will 12-month clinical follow-up data from the TAXUS I trial. Both presentations will be made on November 18, and the results will be announced in a news release issued by the Company that day.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

November 13, 2002
New Test For Risk Of Heart Disease: Study Shifts Focus From Cholesterol to C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
The current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (read the abstract.) discusses how a test for C-reactive protein (CRP) appears to be as good as, if not better than, the standard cholesterol tests now given for estimating a person's risk of having a heart attack or stroke."Elevated concentrations of CRP appear to identify individuals at increased risk of cardiovascular disease even when their cholesterol levels are normal." You can also read a statement from the American Heart Association about the CRP test.
(source: David Brown, Washington Post / New England Journal of Medicine / American Heart Association)

November 8, 2002
Patients Seek Internet Rx
People are twice as likely to go online for information about medical procedures than ask their doctors, survey says.
(source: HealthScout)

November 8, 2002
The Overachievers: Boston Scientific Has Heart
A story for those interested in the business of medicine: the turnaround and growth at Boston Scientific. Also discusses the current status of the drug-eluting stent field (see our "Hot Topic" on the subject)
(source: Matthew Herper, Forbes.com)

November 5, 2002
OL McKinney undergoes angioplasty
Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Jeremy McKinney has undergone a heart procedure to correct a narrowing of an artery.
(source: Dallas Cowboys Team News)

November 4, 2002
Desperate company finds huge opportunity with tiny syringe
A story about EndoBionics development of a "microneedle" and a novel way to deliver drugs to the coronary arteries. The company recently signed an agreement with Medtronic (read press release). This article chronicles how the company started and survived. There is also a graphic of the technology involved.
(source: Tom Abate, San Francisco Chronicle)

October 24, 2002
Guidant Submits Application for FDA Approval of MULTI-LINK VISION Cobalt Chromium Coronary Stent
Guidant has submitted its application for pre-market approval for its newest addition to the MULTI-LINK line: the VISION Coronary Stent System. The new stent is constructed of a cobalt chromium alloy, enabling the stent to have thinner stent struts and enhanced deliverability while maintaining excellent radial strength and visibility.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

October 24, 2002
Brain Aneurysm Trial Halted After Less-Invasive Treatment Is Proved Superior To Invasive Surgery
Results released today, and published in The Lancet, from the International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial (ISAT) demonstrate that less-invasive endovascular treatment with detachable platinum coils produces better outcomes for patients suffering from ruptured brain aneurysms than neurosurgical clipping -- another example of how the interventional techniques pioneered in the field of angioplasty are being applied successfully throughout the anatomy. You can read the abstract from The Lancet here. You may also wish to read a New York Times article about the procedure, titled "Fixing Aneurysms Without Surgery", dated November 12, 2002. Both of these sources are free, but require registration.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation / The Lancet / New York Times)

October 22, 2002
Calcium-blocker drug slows artery clogging better than beta blocker
This European study tested two high blood pressure medications: lacidipine, a calcium channel blocker, and atenolol, a beta blocker. (Lacidipine is not currently approved for use in the U.S.)
(source: American Heart Association)

October 22, 2002
FDA advisors back approval of drug-coated stent
A U.S. advisory panel on Tuesday unanimously backed Johnson & Johnson's CYPHER™ drug-coated stent, a new, eagerly-awaited technology to treat clogged coronary arteries and keep them from becoming blocked again. Forbes calls this "A Big Win for Johnson & Johnson". Also read the company's press release. The recommendation, however, included several requirements that might slightly delay final FDA approval, as noted in this article from TheStreet.com.
(source: Reuters / Cordis Corporation / Forbes)

October 22, 2002
Boston Scientific Tripled U.S. Market Share With New Express Stent
Boston Scientific Corp. tripled its share of the U.S. stent market in the last two weeks of the third quarter after the introduction of its Express2 stent, going from "roughly 6% of the U.S. stent market as of mid-September to 18% of the market by the end of the month."
(source: Daniel Rosenberg, Dow Jones Business News)

October 16, 2002
Cost and Cost-effectiveness of an Early Invasive vs Conservative Strategy for the Treatment of Unstable Angina and Non–ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
In certain type of heart attack patients, the clinical benefit of an early invasive strategy (i.e. angioplasty or other percutaneous coronary intervention) was achieved with a small increase in cost, yielding favorable projected estimates of cost per year of life gained. These results support the broader use of an early invasive strategy in these patients. Also read an article about this report from HealthScout News.
(source: Journal of the American Medical Association / Kathleen Doheny, HealthScoutNews)

October 15, 2002
Angioplasty safer, need for emergency surgery afterward plunges
From 1992 to 2000 the need for emergency bypass surgery after angioplasty has dropped more than ten-fold. The rate in 1992 for emergency surgery was 1.5% -- it is now 0.14%. The increased safety of angioplasty can be attributed to increased physician experience, improved techniques, drugs which help prevent clotting and the use of stents to keep arteries open. You can also read another article on this from HealthScoutNews.
(source: American Heart Association / HealthScoutNews)

October 14, 2002
MRI Predicts Heart Attack Risk; Imaging Test Creating 'Revolution' in Heart Care
IA study published in tomorrow's Circulation, discusses the use of 3-D MRI imaging in the diagnosis of heart disease. “This study is the first to determine that MRI is a strong prognostic forecaster,” says lead author W. Gregory Hundley, a cardiologist and associate professor of internal medicine and radiology at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. “Such information is important because it helps us identify which patients should receive more aggressive treatment.” Read another article about the study from the American Heart Association.
(source: Adam Marcus, HealthScoutNews / American Heart Association)

October 9, 2002
House Passes Bill on Medical Technology
Article from the New York Times (registration required) about The U.S. House of Representatives passing a bill "to speed the approval and marketing of a new generation of medical technology that promises better diagnosis and treatment of many illnesses. In return, the industry — manufacturers of medical devices — will, for the first time, pay user fees so the government can hire more people to review the inventions."
(source: Robert Pear, New York Times)

October 7, 2002
Court Refuses to Stay Permanent Injunction in Paclitaxel-Coated Stent Dispute Between Boston Scientific and Cook
Boston Scientific today announced that this morning the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois denied Cook, Inc.'s request for a stay of the permanent injunction issued last week in the dispute between Boston Scientific and Cook over Cook's agreements with Guidant Corporation relating to the development and distribution of paclitaxel-coated stents. Calling the Cook-Guidant agreements a "subterfuge," the Court ruled that the permanent injunction remains in place.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

October 7, 2002
Medtronic's Advanced Stent Delivery System with Breakthrough Zipper™ Technology Receives FDA Approval
The company's press release states that "this new generation multi-exchange delivery platform offers the unique advantages of precision, control and easy exchange of guidewires and catheters.... The Zipper Delivery Platform was previewed to cardiologists attending the recent Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference in Washington, DC, where three highly successful live cases and the response from some of the world’s most eminent interventional cardiologists demonstrated the groundbreaking nature of this exciting new technology."
(source: Medtronic Inc.)

October 7, 2002
How to Fix the Edge Effect of Catheter-Based Radiation Therapy in Stented Arteries
Edge stenosis remains a serious limitation of catheter-based vascular brachytherapy (VBT). This study aims to identify the mechanisms and evaluate strategies to minimize edge restenosis in patients treated with VBT.
(source: Circulation)

October 3, 2002
Guidant Receives Humanitarian Device Exemption for New Intracranial Stent
The company has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE) for its NEUROLINK® System designed to treat atherosclerosis of the intracranial arteries, the vessels that distribute blood through the brain. Under the HDE approval, patients with recurrent stroke due to intracranial atherosclerosis who have failed medical therapy may be treated with the NEUROLINK System.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

October 3, 2002
For Heart Problem, Nowhere to Hide
The article starts "New imaging techniques are allowing cardiologists to detect dangerous blood vessel blockages that are the cause of most heart attacks," and continues with an overview of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and several other new imaging techniques, such as intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and thermal imaging.
(source: Melinda T. Willis, ABCNews.com)

October 2, 2002
Cook Incorporated To Appeal Latest Court Ruling
Cook Incorporated announced today it will ask for an immediate stay of a ruling yesterday by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The company also said it plans to appeal an earlier ruling in that court blocking Cook's right to manufacture and sell its ACHIEVE Drug Eluting Stent System through a 2001 distribution agreement signed with Guidant Corporation. "Although yesterday's ruling came as a disappointment to Cook, we believe our appeals of the court's ruling, as well as of the injunction, will be upheld," said Kem Hawkins, President, Cook Incorporated.
(source: Cook Incorporated)

October 2, 2002
The End of the Line for Guidant • Boston Scientific Wins Again
Two interpretations of the implications of today's court decision can be read in these companion articles from Forbes.com
(source: Katrina Keller and Forbes Staff, Forbes.com)

October 2, 2002
Guidant Comments on Cook-Boston Scientific Litigation
Guidant Corporation reported that the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois yesterday issued an injunction prohibiting any performance under the agreements between Cook Incorporated and Guidant relating to the development and distribution of paclitaxel eluting stents. The injunction also prevents the use of information, data or technology generated or gathered in connection with the agreements. "Guidant continues to be committed to advancing this important lifesaving therapy and will pursue alternative pathways to bring drug eluting stent technology to market," said Ronald W. Dollens, president and CEO, Guidant Corporation. "Cook plans to immediately seek a stay of the injunction and appeal the judge's ruling. We will also continue to aggressively pursue the Guidant vs. Boston Scientific litigation."
(source: Guidant Corporation)

October 2, 2002
Angiotech -- Court Issues Ruling On Data Injunction in Boston Scientific-Cook Dispute
Angiotech comments on the court ruling. Angiotech is the producer of the paclitaxel drug used in both the Boston Scientific and Cook stents drug-eluting stents. "TAXUS I, II, III, ELUTES and ASPECT paclitaxel-eluting stent clinical trials have produced consistent, reproducible, outstanding patient efficacy across an array of stent platforms," said William L. Hunter, MD, MSc, Chairman and CEO of Angiotech. "Angiotech partnered with Cook and Boston Scientific because we were confident in their ability to deliver a superior product to cardiologists and interventional radiologists worldwide. We are as comfortable with that decision today as we were in 1997."
(source: Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)

October 1, 2002
Court Grants Boston Scientific Request For Injunction In Paclitaxel-Coated Stent Dispute With Cook
The Court also enjoined sales under Cook-Guidant distribution agreement and prohibits use of Guidant clinical data. This ruling represents the latest chapter in the ongoing "stent wars", the race to gain approval and market drug-eluting stents, new devices that have shown significant benefits in preventing restenosis, or reblocking, of coronary arteries, and have been hailed as "revolutionary".
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

October 1, 2002
Pill may prevent stent complication that re-blocks arteries
Most hope for the prevention of renstenosis in stents and other coronary interventions has been around the drug-eluting stent (see our "Hot Topic"). But this study of 6 New Zealand rabbits found that a drug similar to those used on the coated stents may be as or more effective. Whether this small animal study translates to a viable treatment in humans is yet to be seen; earlier attempts at solving the restenosis problem used various oral medications and were not successful.
(source: American Heart Association)

October 1, 2002
"Slice" scanner latest advance in early detection of heart disease
Interventional cardiology has advanced hand-in-hand with advances in imaging. This latest study from Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, demonstrates that an advanced imaging technique – multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) – is a reliable, noninvasive way to detect blockages in the coronary arteries, and can provide an accurate, noninvasive alternative to coronary angiography (catheterization).
(source: American Heart Association)

September 28, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces 30-Day Safety Data from its TAXUS IV Drug-Eluting Stent Clinical Trial
"This provides the first evidence in our program that diabetics benefit from paclitaxel-eluting stents," said Jim Tobin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boston Scientific. "Despite the small sample, this data is very intriguing and holds great hope for diabetic patients. Diabetic patients experience far more restenosis following angioplasty and stenting, and they may stand to benefit dramatically from these improvements."
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

September 27, 2002
Surgery Beats Balloon for Heart Disease
Results of a study published in The Lancet, show that surgery patients may be less likely to die or need repeat procedures. However, many cardiologists point out that the data (patients were enrolled from 1996-1999) do not adequately reflect the advances in interventional techniques and devices, namely stents, since that time. An accompanying commentary by Drs. William W O'Neill and Cindy L Grines, states that the gap between surgery and interventional techniques continues to narrow, especially with the advent of drug-eluting, or coated, stents.
(source: Kathleen Doheny, HealthScoutNews)

September 26, 2002
Clearing the Path to a Healthier Heart: X-Sizer® device prevents traveling blood clots
The device, called the X-SIZER Catheter System, breaks up blood clots and plaque in diseased arteries. A miniature vacuum on the X-SIZER is then used to remove the arterial debris to prevent it from traveling to other parts of the body. This device could prevent thousands of major heart attacks each year in the United States, says Dr. Gregg Stone, director of cardiovascular research at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City and lead investigator of the X-TRACT study. More information on the device is available from the manufacturer EndiCOR Medical, Inc.
(source: Robert Preidt, HealthScout News / Endicor Medical, Inc.)

September 25, 2002
New Vascular Therapy Device Receives FDA Clearance; CryoVascular’s Device Gently Opens Blocked Peripheral Arteries
The FDA has approved a new type of angioplasty balloon (the PolarCath™ Peripheral Transluminal Angioplasty System) that uses nitrous oxide to cool the artery as it is opened. The process is called Cryoplasty™. Read more about the technology from the company's website.
(source: Cryovascular Systems)

September 26, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces Final Results of its TAXUS II Drug-Eluting Stent Clinical Trial
The company today announced final, six-month results of its TAXUS II paclitaxel-eluting stent clinical trial. The study reports in-stent restenosis rate of 2.3 percent, in-segment rate of 5.5 percent. It is the Company's first large drug-eluting stent trial, and the results convincingly demonstrated both safety and efficacy in reducing coronary restenosis. "These results are compelling evidence of the safety and effectiveness of TAXUS paclitaxel-eluting stents for the treatment of de novo coronary disease," said Professor Antonio Colombo, M.D., the trial's Principal Investigator. "In addition to impressive reductions in restenosis rates, we also saw a beneficial edge effect, as indicated by greater lumen diameters and less late loss. The restenosis rates are already so low at the edges that further differences are not seen in this sample size."
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

September 24, 2002
Final Results of Large-Scale U.S. Study Confirm Positive Performance of Cordis CYPHER™ Sirolimus-eluting Stent
As reported at this year's Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) symposium, this study (SIRIUS) of 1,058 patients with eight-month angiographic follow-up showed minimal in-stent late lumen loss (0.17 mm) in patients treated with the CYPHER™ Stent. The 3.2% rate of angiographic in-stent restenosis represents a 91% reduction vs. the control arm (bare metal stent), and the 8.9% angiographic in-lesion restenosis (including a 5-mm area at each end of the stent) represents a 75% reduction vs. the control arm. Co-principal investigator Dr. Jeffrey W. Moses stated, “The remarkable results of the CYPHER™ Sirolimus-eluting Stent are holding. Findings of the SIRIUS trial are very positive and consistent with results of earlier studies. There are no significant differences between our preliminary findings and our final data set. The results continue to support the excellent performance of the product.” Read another article on the J&J/Cordis study from Reuters.
(source: Cordis Corporation)

September 24, 2002
Strong statin therapy reverses plaque build-up in arteries
Previously it has been widely held that lowering LDL, a.k.a. "bad cholesterol", helped to prevent progression of coronary artery disease. However, this study in today's Circulation, shows that bringing LDL to lower than optimal levels actually can reverse the build-up of artery-clogging plaque.
(source: American Heart Association)

September 24, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces Victory Trial Results
A press release announcing results of the company's VICTORY clinical trial, which studied the Express™ coronary stent system to evaluate safety and efficacy of coronary artery stenting with the Express coronary stent system in the treatment of de novo or restenotic lesions of native coronary arteries and for abrupt closure and threatened abrupt closure (AC/TAC) indications.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

September 23, 2002
Angiographic Findings of the Multicenter Randomized Study With the Sirolimus-Eluting Bx Velocity Balloon-Expandable Stent (RAVEL)
Read this abstract about the RAVEL trial, conducted at the Thoraxcentre in Rotterdam, subtitled "Sirolimus-Eluting Stents Inhibit Restenosis Irrespective of the Vessel Size ".
(source: Circulation)

September 20, 2002
Boston Scientific and Medtronic Announce Settlement of Litigation
These two medical device companies have settled a number of patent infringement lawsuits and have agreed to cross-license certain patents in the fields of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, embolic protection, nitinol technology and catheter manufacture.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

September 19, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces Investment and Distribution Agreements With Precision Vascular Systems
Precision Vascular has developed a proprietary line of guidewires and microcatheters for accessing brain aneurysms, tumors and other blood vessel lesions of the brain. Boston Scientific's Target division expects to begin distribution of Precision Vascular's guidewires early in the fourth quarter of this year.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

September 17, 2002
Angioplasty at 25 - From a Homemade Balloon to 2 Million Patients a Year; Created on Kitchen Table, Device Is Now Leading Treatment for Heart Disease
Our press release celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first coronary angioplasty performed in the cath lab by Dr. Andreas Gruentzig. (see the video).
(source: Angioplasty.Org)

September 17, 2002
Gene therapy promising for preventing restenosis
An experimental gene transfer technique shut down cell re-growth in the arteries’ interior lining and reduced the inflammatory response – two main causes of re-narrowing of newly opened blood vessels, researchers report in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
(source: American Heart Association)

September 14, 2002
"Everything's Fine" Cheney Says After Heart Exam
Vice President Cheney, who has history of heart problems, declared "everything's fine" after a routine cardiovascular check at a Washington hospital yesterday. Jonathan Reiner gave the 61-year-old vice president a clean bill of health, reporting that his high-tech pacemaker "continues to function flawlessly and has not detected nor treated any arrhythmia," according to Cheney's spokeswoman Mary Matalin. Cheney had a stent placed in November 2000 and an angioplasty In March 2001.
(source: Washington Post / CNN)

September 12, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces FDA Approval for Express²™ Coronary Stent System
Express stent technology has potential for future use in a broad range of applications, which may include peripheral vascular and neurovascular applications, in addition to coronary applications. The Company also plans to use the Express² stent system as the platform for its TAXUS drug-eluting stent program.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

September 12, 2002
Clot-Busting Drugs Save Heart Attack Victims; Study finds early therapy effective when time is important
A French study shows results that contradict the recommended standard of care in the U.S. -- that primary angioplasty is superior to clot-dissolving drug. However, the results are not as clear-cut as they could have been, due to low enrollment and financing issues. In addition, 25 percent of the patients who got clot-dissolving therapy ended up undergoing "rescue angioplasty" when it was suspected the initial treatment had failed.
(source: ed Edelson, HealthScoutNews)

September 3, 2002
Cook Incorporated's ACHIEVE™ Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent Receives First CE Mark Approval For Sale In Europe
Cook Incorporated's ACHIEVE™ Drug Eluting Coronary Stent System, which uses the clinically proven benefits of paclitaxel to reduce the rate at which arteries reclog following angioplasty, has received CE Mark approval for sale in
Europe. The system is the first paclitaxel-coated coronary stent approved for sale in Europe.
(source: Cook Group, Inc.)

September 2, 2002
European Society of Cardiology: Coronary Artery Disease and Rhythm Disorders Hot Line and Clinical Trial Update Session
This update brief, prepared by Dr. Christian Leuner, University Hospital Bielefeld, Germany, discusses seven clinical trials presented at this year's ESC Congress: BEST, Euro-SPAH, PRAG 4, OPTIMAAL, ACE, TEN-HMS and ACTION
(source: European Society of Cardiology)

August 27, 2002
Vitamin Cocktail After Angioplasty Boosts Heart Health
A cocktail of B vitamins may lower the risks of heart attack, repeat surgery and death for patients who have undergone the artery-clearing heart surgery angioplasty, researchers report. In the new study, patients who took folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 for 6 months fared better after one year, compared with patients who did not take the vitamin combination.
(source: Ed Edelson, HealthScout)

August 21, 2002
'Key Hole' or Minimally Invasive Bypass, Stents Work for Heart Patients
Patients who have a specific type of blocked heart artery seem to do equally well if they undergo artery-clearing angioplasty or a minimally invasive "key hole" bypass surgery, researchers report in the New England Jounral of Medicine. While the short-term results for the angioplasty group were better, more repeat procedures were needed (29%) compared with the minimally invasive bypass (8%). With the advent of coated-stents, it is expected that these figures will be much closer. Read the abstract in the the NEJM.
(source: Ed Edelson, HealthScoutNews / New England Journal of Medicine)

August 15, 2002
PharmaSonics Announces Financing in Anticipation of Final Intravascular Sonotherapy® Trial Results; Pivotal U.S. and European Trial Results to Be Presented in Fall of 2002
"The SWING trial results will be announced around the same time as the clinical results for drug coated stents," explained Ronald Caputo, M.D., investigator for the SWING trial, and an interventional cardiologist at St. Joseph's Hospital, Syracuse, New York. "This is great news for all of us in the field of interventional cardiology. Assuming FDA approval, physicians will have more clinical and economic choices for treating patients with stent restenosis. There are always going to be cases where you will need to use more than one line of therapy to treat restenosis, especially with difficult lesions, multi-vessel disease and recurring in-stent restenosis. Intravascular Sonotherapy and drug coated stents should complement each other nicely in our daily practice."
(source: PharmaSonics, Inc.)

August 14, 2002
Guidant's MULTI-LINK Stents Demonstrate Benefit to Heart Attack Patients
“The clinical data from the CADILLAC trial demonstrates conclusively the benefit of stent implantation as an immediate treatment for heart attack victims,” concluded principal investigator Gregg W. Stone, M.D., Cardiovascular Research Foundation, Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute, New York. “For patients presenting at centers skilled in angioplasty, stenting should now be considered the new standard of care.”
(source: Guidant Corporation)

August 8, 2002
Guidant's Stent for Small Vessels Demonstrates Excellent Clinical Outcomes at Six Months
“These clinical results establish the MULTI-LINK PIXEL Stent as an effective and minimally invasive option for treating small diameter vessels, which can be more difficult to treat due to the distal location of the lesions and the possibility that abrupt closure may occur,” said David A. Cox, M.D., of the Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., who served as principal investigator of Guidant’s MULTI-LINK PIXEL registry. Small vessels are defined as those with diameters of 2.5 mm or less; approximately 20 percent of atherosclerotic lesions occur in such vessels.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

August 8, 2002
Medtronic Announces First In Next Generation Of Guide Catheters For Angioplasty
6-French Medtronic launcher™ guide catheter offers patients and interventional cardiologists a pathway for performing repairs on coronary vessels
(source: Medtronic Inc.)

August 7, 2002
NIH Launches Large Clinical Trial on EDTA Chelation Therapy for Coronary Artery Disease
The 5-year Trial To Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) will involve over 2,300 patients at more than 100 research sites across the country. "The public health imperative to undertake a definitive study of chelation therapy is clear. The widespread use of chelation therapy in lieu of established therapies, the lack of adequate prior research to verify its safety and effectiveness, and the overall impact of coronary artery disease convinced NIH that the time is right to launch this rigorous study," said Stephen E. Straus, M.D., NCCAM Director. The NCCAM has provided an extensive FAQ about this study.
(source: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

August 1, 2002
The Tale of Two Heart Drugs: Study compares drugs used in angioplasty
A study in this week's The Lancet clarifies the differences between tirofiban and abciximab, two drugs used with angioplasty patients to reduce platelet "clumping" in the coronary arteries. The conclusion is that both drugs are similar in preventing death, heart attacks and repeat surgery in the long-term, while abciximab, the more expensive of the two, is better within the first 30 days
(source: Robert Preidt. HealthScoutNews)

July 31, 2002
Drug-eluting Stents To Receive Incremental Reimbursement
This precedent-setting decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services includes new payment
rates for drug-eluting stent technology, effective April 1, 2003, breaking new ground by establishing new DRGs and setting a reimbursement before the approval of a new medical device.
(source: Cordis Corporation)

July 30, 2002
Guidant Agrees to Acquire Cook Group Incorporated
Ronald W. Dollens, president and CEO, Guidant Corporation, stated "This agreement is strategically important as it adds clarity around our ability to fully participate in the drug eluting stent market opportunity." The press release also states "Guidant's obligation to complete the acquisition is subject to certain clinical and legal conditions relating to the ACHIEVE™ Drug Eluting Coronary Stent System. The conditions include positive clinical results
and Guidant's rights to use certain clinical data and to sell the ACHIEVE product." Also read Cook's press release about the proposed merger.
(source: Guidant Corporation / Cook Group Inc.)

July 29, 2002
Air pollution linked with risk for exercise-induced heart damage
Breathing polluted air, especially smoky exhaust that billows from factory smokestacks and the tailpipes of some diesel-powered buses and trucks, is bad for people with heart disease, according to a Finnish study, the first of its kind, published today in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
(source: American Heart Association)

July 29, 2002
Clot-Busting Protein May Lead to Clogged Arteries
Urokinase-type plasminogen activator, a naturally-occurring protein that is commonly used as a clot-busting drug, may worsen atherosclerosis if it is supplied in large quantities through gene therapy, the results of a new study suggest.
(source: Linda Carroll, Reuters Health)

July 22, 2002
American Heart Association responds to recent media coverage about high-fat, low-carbohydrate weight loss diets
AHA President Robert Bonow, MD writes, "Many Americans may be understandably confused by the recent surge of media interest in the role of high-fat, low-carbohydrate diets for weight loss, spurred in part by an article in the July 7 issue of the New York Times Magazine. The article supports the theory that a low-fat diet and refined carbohydrates are at the root of America’s obesity epidemic, and that a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, such as the
one recommended by best-selling book author Robert Atkins, M.D., might be good for an individual’s health." You can purchase the original article, titled "What if It's All Been a Big Fat Lie?" from the New York Times (or read it in your local library for free). You can also read Dr. Dean Ornish's commentary on the controversy.
(source: American Heart Association / New York Times / Dean Ornish, WebMD)

July 22, 2002
More fallout from plaque ruptures in store for heart attack survivors
The blood clot that causes a heart attack may not act alone. Hidden plaque ruptures may cause further damage, according to a three-dimensional ultrasound study published in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. An accompanying editorial says the ability to diagnose vulnerable lesions before
they rupture would have “tremendous potential” for heart attack prevention. IVUS and other invasive and noninvasive techniques could allow doctors to assess individual plaques and overall plaque condition. (Read more about Intravascular Ultrasound.)
(source: American Heart Association)

July 19, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces Creation of Philanthropic Foundation
Boston Scientific Corporation announced the creation of the Boston Scientific Foundation, a philanthropic organization whose mission is to improve the health of individuals and communities, and to enhance educational opportunity. The Company has funded the Foundation with an initial $18 million endowment.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

July 18, 2002
Braves announcer Skip Caray back on the air after angioplasty
Atlanta Braves announcer Skip Caray expects to return to the broadcast booth on July 18 after having angioplasty to clear an artery.
(source: Associated Press)

July 16, 2002
New heart guidelines stress youth checks
Starting at age 20, every person in the United States should be regularly evaluated for the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, according to landmark guidelines issued today by the American Heart Association (read the guidelines here -- HTML version / PDF version). The recommendations mark the first time the group has suggested routine screenings for all patients beginning in early adulthood.
(source: Adam Marcus, HealthScout / American Heart Association)

July 16, 2002
Drug combo curbs artery re-closing after some heart attacks
Aspirin plus the anticoagulant drug coumarin is more effective than aspirin alone at keeping coronary arteries open after some heart attacks, researchers report in today’s rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
(source: American Heart Association)

July 10, 2002
Medtronic Challenges $169 Million Award to Boston Scientific
Medtronic is seeking to block enforcement of an arbitration award granted to Boston Scientific and two company units in a dispute over a patent for stent delivery systems. The arbitration panel stated that Medtronic willfully infringed Schneider's patent. The panel ordered Medtronic to stop selling any devices that violate the patent and awarded $169 million in damages to Boston Scientific and its two units, plus costs and attorney fees.
(source: Susan Decker, Bloomberg)

July 9, 2002
Boston Scientific Increases Equity Position in Natural Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Boston Scientific Corporation has acquired additional shares of the company. In addition, NPI has granted Boston Scientific a long-term extension of the exclusive paclitaxel supply relationship that is currently in place between the companies. Paclitaxel is the active pharmaceutical compound in Boston Scientific's drug-eluting stent technology.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

July 8, 2002
Cordis Introduces Bx SONIC™ Over-the-Wire Coronary Stent with Advanced Tip Technology for Treatment of Coronary Artery Disease
This product is indicated for improving coronary luminal diameter in patients with symptomatic ischemic heart disease due to de novo (previously untreated) and restenotic lesions in native coronary arteries with reference diameters from 3.0mm to 5.0mm. The Bx SONIC Stent is also indicated for the treatment of abrupt or threatened vessel closure in patients with failed interventional therapy in lesions with reference diameters from 2.25mm to 4.00mm.
(source: Cordis Corporation)

July 4, 2002
Exercise Boosts Cholesterol-Lowering Diet Effects
Yet another study has demonstrated the considerable health benefits of moderate exercise. In a study of people with heart disease who were trying to lower their cholesterol levels by sticking to a reduced-fat diet, adding an average of just 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise helped most reach their cholesterol goals.
(source: Reuters Health)

July 4, 2002
Doctors worry new study will encourage couch potatoes to stay put
A newly published study suggests deaths from heart disease and stroke would be reduced dramatically if more
seemingly healthy people used cholesterol-lowering drugs. A Toronto dietary expert worries those findings may encourage couch potatoes to stay put.
(source: Helen Branswell, Canadian Press)

June 27, 2002
Court Issues Written Opinion in Boston Scientific-Cook Dispute
The court found in its written opinion that the Cook-Guidant agreements constituted "a de facto sublicense" that was "neither authorized, permitted, nor lawful." The court characterized the Cook-Guidant agreements as a "sham" and wrote that Cook's "actions cannot be countenanced." The court found that the Angiotech agreement "clearly evinces an intent that only Cook and Boston (Scientific) are to be players in the paclitaxel business."
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

June 25, 2002
Dutch study bolsters evidence that statins help patients after angioplasty
Angioplasty patients may survive longer, with fewer recurring heart problems, if they start taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins soon after the procedure, Dutch research suggests. Benefits were found even in patients with normal cholesterol levels who took fluvastatin, sold in the United States under the brand name Lescol. The research was funded and coordinated by Novartis Pharma AG, which makes Lescol. The study (read abstract here) bolsters previous research on the heart benefits of early statin use. But this study followed patients for longer and found the effects can last at least four years. (Also see next article.)
(source: Lindsey Tanner, Associated Press / Journal of the American Medical Association)

June 25, 2002
Cholesterol Drug Cuts Post-Surgery Heart Problems
Even people with normal cholesterol levels may benefit from cholesterol-lowering drugs after undergoing procedures to clear clogged coronary arteries, new research suggests. Researchers found that giving the cholesterol drug fluvastatin (Lescol) to patients with average cholesterol counts cut their risk of heart attack and other major cardiac problems after surgery.
(source: Reuters Health)

June 24, 2002
Doctors say pitcher Kile's fatal problem is common, preventable
The heart condition linked to the death of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile is common and treatable, and should have been suspected, given his family history, doctors said Monday. An autopsy showed the 33-year-old pitcher found dead Saturday had 80 per cent to 90 per cent narrowing of two of three main arteries to his heart. also read about a test that can predict risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD).
(source: Associated Press / Cambridge Heart)

June 23, 2002
There is bias in heart attack care, but it's related to age, not gender says study
About a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, lead author Dr. David Alter says, "We really do under-treat the elderly. We under-treat them with our best evidence-based medicines. We
probably under-dose them to some extent. And this study would support that when it comes to our more specialized interventions - like angiography and the intensity of followup (in cardiac care) and things like that - we are also less aggressive."
(source: Helen Branswell, Canadian Press)

June 18, 2002
Boston Scientific Submits Application for CE Mark for its TAXUS™ Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent System
The Company also announced that after receiving regulatory approvals in additional countries, it has expanded the commercialization of the TAXUS product through the WISDOM transitional registry program. Boston Scientific is conducting the registry in a number of countries as part of a limited commercial launch.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

June 13, 2002
Court Rules In Favor Of Boston Scientific In Paclitaxel-Coated Stent Dispute With Cook
Boston Scientific Corporation announced today that the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled in its favor in the dispute between Boston Scientific and Cook Inc. over Cook’s agreements with Guidant Corp. relating to paclitaxel-coated stents.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

June 13, 2002
Guidant Reaffirms Commitment to Paclitaxel Eluting Stent Program
Guidant comments on Summary Judgment Ruling in Cook-Boston Scientific Litigation: "Guidant continues to believe that Cook has the right to enter into a distribution agreement with Guidant. We are disappointed with the judge's ruling, which Cook plans to appeal," stated Ronald W. Dollens, president and CEO, Guidant Corporation.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

June 13, 2002
Cook Incorporated To Appeal Federal Court Ruling Against Selling Paclitaxel-Eluting Stents Through A Third-Party Distributor
"We strongly felt the language of our licensing agreement with Angiotech clearly granted us the option to distribute paclitaxel-coated devices through a third-party distributor, and we're very disappointed the court's opinion did not uphold this right," said Phyllis McCullough, chairman of Cook Incorporated.
(source: Cook Group Inc.)

June 11, 2002
Boston Scientific Wins Infringement Case in Germany on Medtronic's Rapid Exchange Stent Delivery Systems and Angioplasty Balloons
The German patent involved in the case was granted to Dr. Tassilo Bonzel, and is a counterpart of the U.S. patent that an arbitration panel last year ruled had been willfully infringed by Medtronic. In that proceeding, the panel awarded Boston Scientific $169 million in damages, as well as costs and attorneys' fees, and a permanent injunction. The arbitrators' decision has been confirmed by a U.S. District Court, but Medtronic has appealed the decision.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

June 5, 2002
Antibiotic-Coated Stents Look Promising; Drug from Easter Island helps prevent re-closing
Sirolimus is sold by Wyeth-Ayerst as Rapamune, named in part after what native Easter Islanders call their remote South Pacific enclave -- Rapa Nui. The idea is that eluting sirolimus will prevent the growth of new tissue that often causes the treated artery to close up again. And a report in tomorrow's New England Journal of Medicine, by cardiologists at 19 European medical centers, says that it works.
(source: Ed Edelson, HealthScoutNews)

June 4, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces Progress in TAXUS IV U.S. Clinical Trial
1,172 patients have been enrolled in the TAXUS IV paclitaxel-eluting stent clinical trial, the target patient number for the trial which is designed to collect data to support regulatory filings for U.S. product commercialization. The prospective, randomized, double-blind study will assess the safety and efficacy of a slow-release dose formulation paclitaxel-eluting TAXUS™ stent system for the treatment of coronary restenosis. The TAXUS IV trial is using the Express™ stent, a laser-cut, balloon-expandable stent developed exclusively by Boston Scientific.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

June 3, 2002
New marker of inflammation predicts death from artery disease
People with coronary artery disease who had high blood levels of an inflammatory marker called interleukin–18 (IL–18) had more than triple the risk of death from cardiovascular disease than those with the lowest levels, researchers report in today's rapid track publication of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
(source: American Heart Association)

May 31, 2002
Guidant's Market-Leading MULTI-LINK PENTA Stent Demonstrates Excellent Clinical Data
The clinical trial, involving 200 patients with de novo (previously untreated) native coronary artery lesions, demonstrated a 17.5 percent binary restenosis rate. "The low restenosis rate for the MULTI-LINK PENTA is particularly impressive because it was achieved in lesions that were long and complex," said Dr. Jeffrey Popma of Brigham & Women's Hospital, principal investigator for the study. The mean lesion length was 12.9 mm, which is longer than in previous MULTI-LINK trials. In addition, more than 83 percent of the patients' lesions were of a complex morphology.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

May 28, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces CE Mark for Symbiot™ Covered Stent System
The Symbiot Covered Stent is specifically designed to address the two major limitations of treating saphenous vein graft (SVG) disease: the risk of plaque embolization during the procedure and poor long-term outcomes. The stent system features a self-expanding nitinol stent encased in a thin porous ePTFE polymer membrane. The ePTFE cover and self-expanding deployment are intended to work together to reduce plaque embolization during the stenting procedure and provide a long-term patient benefit by reducing restenosis.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

May 23, 2002
Guidant Announces Excellent Preliminary Results of Paclitaxel Eluting Stent Trial
"These promising preliminary results add to the growing repository of clinical data demonstrating the potential benefit of paclitaxel eluting stents for treating coronary artery disease," said Dr. Knopf. William Knopf, M.D., of St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia., co-principal investigator of the trial.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

May 23, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces Final Results of its TAXUS III Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent Clinical Trial
"This is powerful data that provides further evidence that TAXUS™ paclitaxel-eluting stents hold great promise for the treatment of in-stent restenosis and coronary artery disease," said Jim Tobin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boston Scientific. "This data highlights the importance of stent placement accuracy and complete coverage of the treated or diseased portion of the vessel with a paclitaxel-eluting stent. Further optimization in stent deployment and placement is likely to yield even better outcomes. This is a first and significant step toward expanding the role of TAXUS paclitaxel-eluting stents into more complex lesions."
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

May 22, 2002
Guidant Begins Clinical Trial of New Stent to Treat Bifurcated Lesions
The first patient has been treated in a clinical study that will evaluate the safety and performance of Guidant's new MULTI-LINK FRONTIER™ Coronary Stent System which is designed to treat atherosclerotic lesions in native coronary arteries at the site of a bifurcation, where one vessel branches from another. Bifurcated areas of the vascular system are a common location for the build-up of atherosclerotic plaque. These lesions are particularly challenging to treat with currently available stents because of the risk of blocking blood flow to the side vessel. About 20% of patients treated for coronary artery disease are treated for bifurcated lesions.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

May 22, 2002
Preliminary Results of Large-Scale U.S. Study Support Excellent Results with Cordis CYPHER™ Sirolimus-eluting Stent
“We are extremely impressed by the consistency in findings between the preliminary SIRIUS data and the results of the large-scale RAVEL* study in Europe and Latin America,” said Dr. Martin Leon of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Eight-month angiographic follow-up showed virtually no in-stent late lumen loss (0.14mm) in patients treated with the CYPHER™ Stent, mirroring the 6-month findings of the RAVEL study and the 2-year findings of the First in Man study. The 2% rate of angiographic in-stent restenosis — representing a 94% reduction versus the control arm (bare metal stent) — supports the findings of earlier studies.
(source: Cordis Corporation)

May 21, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces CE Mark for Express2™ Coronary Stent System
The Express2 stent system -- an Express™ stent combined with advanced Maverick® balloon catheter technology -- features a laser-bonded, flexible tip with a long, low profile designed for easier tracking. The Bioslide® hydrophilic coating is designed to reduce friction, while the proprietary Crimp 360™ technology secures the stent to the balloon.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

May 16, 2002
First Patients Enrolled In Clinical Trial Of Guardwire Plus™ In Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction
In a study intended to further demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of balloon occlusion distal protection during vascular interventions, Medtronic, Inc., today announced the start of its EMERALD (Enhanced Myocardial Efficacy and Recovery by Aspiration of Liberalized Debris) trial. The study is specifically designed to compare results in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), half of whom will be randomized to the new generation .028 inch GuardWire Plus™ Temporary Occlusion and Aspiration System, while the other half will receive conventional percutaneous interventional therapy (PCI) without embolic protection.
(source: Medtronic, Inc.)

May 16, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces Court Decision to Set Aside Infringement Verdict in J&J Case
"We are very pleased by the court's decision to set aside the jury's verdict," said Jim Tobin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boston Scientific. "This is a major vindication of our position that the NIR® stent technology does not infringe any of the J&J patents."
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

May 15, 2002
FDA Approves Release of Medtronic's Revolutionary Stormer™ Balloon Catheter
The company announced approval by the U. S.Food and Drug Administration of its Stormer™ Over-the-Wire (OTW) Balloon Dilatation Catheter system used in the treatment of coronary artery disease. The new Stormer, designed specifically to treat challenging lesions, is now available for immediate release in the U.S. and "represents a major advance over other such catheters on the market today."
(source: Medtronic Inc.)

May 15, 2002
Guidant Debuts Latest Coronary Stent in Europe; Sixth-Generation Stent System Features Enhanced Deliverability, Market-Leading Stent Design
he MULTI-LINK ZETA System incorporates a new delivery platform featuring a softer, more flexible balloon material designed to enhance delivery to the site of the coronary blockage and promote smooth deployment. The new system leverages the proven design of the MULTI-LINK PENTA™ Stent, the market leading stent launched in mid-2001.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

May 13, 2002
Radiation rids arteries of re-narrowing for up to five years
People who received radiation in their arteries during angioplasty had a reduced risk of artery renarrowing for up to five years compared to those who got only angioplasty, according to a report in today's Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
(source: American Heart Association)

May 9, 2002
Medtronic Signs Strategic Agreements With Abbott Laboratories, Gains Access To Drug Compounds And Coating Technologies For Drug-Eluting Stent Program
Under the agreements, Abbott will grant Medtronic co-exclusive access to its proprietary immunosuppression drug ABT-578 (a rapamycin analogue) -- for use in Medtronic’s drug-eluting stent program -- as well as the phosphorylcholine (PC) coating it has licensed from Biocompatibles International plc for use in conjunction with ABT-578.
(source: Medtronic Inc.)

May 7, 2002
Thomas J. Linnemeier, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Vascular Intervention, Guidant Corporation, Suffers Fatal Injuries in Automobile Accident
Tom Linnemeier was not only one of the pioneers of interventional cardiology, having adopted this technology when it was not fashionable, he was also "a nice guy". He will be missed by all. (Editor, Angioplasty.org)
(source: Guidant Corporation)

May 7, 2002
Drill and suction procedure holds promise for clogged arteries
The X-sizer, a device that sucks out blood clots during angioplasty, may improve survival, according to one of the first studies of its kind published in today's rapid access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers used a marker of heart function called an ST-segment score, calculated during an electrocardiogram. A rapid decrease in ST-segment score, or resolution, indicates better blood flow in coronary vessels and the better the patient will fare overall. ST-segment resolution was observed immediately after treatment in 83 percent of patients treated with suction plus angioplasty, compared with 52 percent of those who had angioplasty alone.
(source: American Heart Association)

May 6, 2002
Guidant Launches Next Generation of Market-Leading Guide Wire
"The new HI-TORQUE BALANCE MIDDLEWEIGHT UNIVERSAL Guide Wire improves upon an already excellent product, allowing easy and smooth stent delivery," said Dr. Martin B. Leon of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

May 2, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces FDA Authorization for Full Enrollment Of TAXUS IV Clinical Trial
The TAXUS IV clinical trial, designed to assess the safety and efficacy of a slow-release dose formulation paclitaxel-eluting TAXUS™ stent system for the treatment of coronary restenosis, has now been given approval by the FDA, allowing the company to enroll its full complement of up to 1172 patients at up to 80 sites. The company states that TAXUS IV is a pivotal study designed to collect data to support regulatory filings for U.S. product commercialization. TAXUS I showed 0% restenosis and 0% thrombosis. The second and third trials confirmed safety and positive results for treatment of in-stent restenosis.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

May 2, 2002
Guidant Initiates New International Paclitaxel Eluting Stent Trial
Guidant announces enrollment of the first patient in a new international clinical study, called DELIVER II, designed to evaluate the benefit of the paclitaxel-coated ACHIEVE™ Drug Eluting Coronary Stent System. Target enrollment is up to 1,500 patients in 100 centers outside the United States. Data from this trial, which will be conducted on behalf of Cook Inc., may be used to expand indications for the ACHIEVE Stent System beyond those outlined in Cook's ASPECT and ELUTES trial protocols.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

April 17, 2002
Radiation helps keep arteries open; method could prevent reclogging of vessels after bypass
Researchers at Washington Hospital Center tested radiation on 120 bypass patients who had clogged stents. They found that those who got the radiation were only half as likely as other patients during the following year to die, have a heart attack or experience new re-narrowing of their graft. (Read the abstract of the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.)
(source: MSNBC / New England Journal of Medicine)

April 17, 2002
A Call for Change in Cardiac Care
Today's front page New York Times article (registration required) reports on an important meta-study of several randomized trials. The study concludes that for patients suffering from acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) angioplasty is the superior treatment over thrombolytic therapy ("clot-buster" drugs), even if the patient must be transported to a more distant hospital where angioplasty can be performed in a catheterization lab. The original study by Thomas Aversano, MD of Johns Hopkins and appearing in today's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (get abstract here) states "...compared with thrombolytic therapy, treatment of patients with primary PCI at hospitals without on-site cardiac surgery is associated with better clinical outcomes for 6 months after index MI and a shorter hospital stay." "The implications of these trials are profound", states Christopher P. Cannon, MD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, in an accompanying article, especially when one considers that an estimated two-thirds of the more than one million Americans who have heart attacks annually do not have access to angioplasty. Join the discussion thread on this topic (first started five years ago!!). And look for our upcoming featured interview with Geoffrey Hartzler, MD who pioneered the treatment of acute MI with angioplasty almost two decades ago.
(source: Lawrence K. Altman, New York Times / Journal of the American Medical Association)

April 16, 2002
Angioplasty safe for the heartland
A "popular press" report on the above study. It states: "Numerous studies have shown angioplasty is the
best treatment for heart attacks. But some medical standards and state regulations say doctors should perform angioplasties only at hospitals that have a cardiac surgery unit in case something goes wrong. The new study challenges that thinking."
(source: MSNBC)

April 15, 2002
Cordis’ CYPHER™ Sirolimus-eluting Stent Receives CE Mark Approval
The company today reported its new CYPHER™ Sirolimus-eluting Stent received CE Mark approval in Europe for
treatment of de novo coronary artery lesions (less than or equal to 30 mm in length) in native coronary arteries with reference diameters ranging from 2.25 to 5.0 mm.
(source: Cordis Corporation)

April 4, 2002
New Tack on Attacks
When treating heart attacks, a new study from Denmark (DANAMI II) suggests that angioplasty in the cath lab beats clot-busters in the emergency room.
(source: ABC News)

April 2, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces First Human Use In U.S. Of Its Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary Stent
System
The company announced that the first patients in the TAXUS IV trial have been treated at a number of sites, including Lenox Hill Hospital in New York."The implantation of the first polymer-based, paclitaxel-eluting stent in the U.S. is a major step on the road to a cure for symptomatic coronary artery disease,'' said Gregg Stone,
M.D., the Principal Investigator for the trial and Director of Cardiovascular Research and Education at the Cardiovascular Research and Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute. The TAXUS IV trial was approved by the FDA one week ago (see related article) and was hailed as "...the green light to begin one of the most important trials in our company's history,'' by Jim Tobin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Boston Scientific.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

March 27, 2002
Stents Help Keep Blood Flowing After Heart Attack
The CADILLAC trial results have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine (read abstract). The study, headed by Dr. Gregg W. Stone, of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, showed that heart attack (acute MI) patients who had a stent implanted after undergoing balloon angioplasty were less likely to have a heart artery re-blockage than patients treated with angioplasty alone.
(source: Reuters / New England Journal of Medicine)

March 20, 2002
Miracle ICD Study Results Presented at ACC
Sponsored by Medtronic, Inc., results of the MIRACLE ICD clinical study were presented by Dr. James Young, co-principal investigator, at today’s late-breaking clinical trials segment of the 51st annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), and demonstrated improved quality of life, functional capacity and exercise tolerance for patients with advanced heart failure and a risk for dangerous ventricular arrhythmias.
(source: Medtronic, Inc.)

March 19, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces Preliminary Results of its TAXUS III Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent Clinical Trial
Six-month data from this trial of in-stent restenosis showed a MACE (Major Adverse Cardiac Event) rate of 17%. This compares favorably with brachytherapy (radiation treatment) without any of the associated risks and complexities. The patient group represents patients with complex vascular disease having recurrent occlusion in a stent, who tend to have an increased probability of restenosis. In the trial, the newly occluded original uncoated stent was opened with a balloon, and a new coated stent inserted inside of the original one.
(source: Boston Scientific)

March 19, 2002
Statins Cut Mortality After Artery-Clearing Procedure
Statins normally are used to reduce cholesterol in patients. However, this study shows that the use of statins in angioplasty patients reduces post-procedure mortality by over one-third. The effects seemed to be independent of cholesterol levels, gender, presence of diabetes or unstable angina.
(source: Emma Hitt, PhD, Reuters Health)

March 19, 2002
Results Of Landmark SAFER (Saphenous Vein Graft Angioplasty Free of Emboli Randomized) Study Published In Circulation
The article describes the largest ever randomized study of balloon-based distal protection technology in patients with diseased saphenous vein grafts. Results demonstrated a 42% relative reduction in major adverse clinical events (MACE) after using the GuardWire Plus system. The first-of-its-kind system, which has been available in the U.S. since last year, protects against potentially catastrophic events in patients undergoing diseased saphenous vein graft stenting.
(source: Medtronic, Inc.)

March 19, 2002
Guidant Announces Opening of Virtual Reality Physician Training Facility
The system, based in Brussels, is a simulator for catheter-based procedures such as stent placement, balloon angioplasty and coronary sinus lead placement required for cardiac resynchronization therapy. The newly opened facility offers eight simultaneous sessions allowing physicians to practice cases and share their experiences in a natural learning environment.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

March 19, 2002
Age a Barrier to Aggressive Heart Treatment
"Use of invasive procedures drops with age, precipitously after age 75," says Dr. Karen Alexander, a professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center who presented a report on the finding today at the annual scientific session of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta. "It is important that health-service researchers look at whether this is appropriate, or whether some people who we do not treat could benefit from the procedures."
(source: HealthScoutNews)

March 18, 2002
UK's Biocompatibles sells stent unit to Abbott
Biocompatibles is selling its cardiovascular stent business and related drug programmes to U.S.-based Abbott Laboratories for 164.7 million pounds ($235 million).
(source: Abbott Laboratories)

March 17, 2002
Coated Stents Hold Promise for Angioplasty Dilemma
Results from trials reported at the American College of Cardiology are confirming that coated stents may prove to be the solution to the dilemma of restenosis. In the latest data on the Johnson & Johnson/Cordis Cypher stent which is coated with the antibiotic Sirolimus, 0% restenosis was reported in the 43 patients followed over two years. A second study (RAVEL) also showed 0% restenosis at 1 year (compared to 26% in the control group). Interesting in this study was the existence of a subgroup of diabetic patients, also with 0% restenosis (normally these patients are referred to surgery as the restenosis rate for diabetics is normally greater than 40%).

• Read the press release from Cordis Corporation.
• Showing the immense interest in the media to this topic, CNN has a lead story on coated stents, with a video clip.
• ABC News also ran a lead story, headlined "Angioplasty Problems Solved"

March 17, 2002
Boston Scientific Files for FDA Approval of Express™ and Express2™ Coronary Stent Systems
Paul LaViolette, President, Boston Scientific Cardiovascular, states "The Express stent system technology has enormous potential, including a broad range of applications which we believe will include peripheral vascular and neurovascular, in addition to coronary applications. We also plan to use the Express2 stent system as the platform for our drug-eluting stent program." The company also announced several other device approvals from the FDA.
(source: Boston Scientific Corporation)

March 15, 2002
FDA clears new Philips X-ray system that will enable more precise care for cardiac patients
The company announces that the FDA has cleared the Integris Allura Flat Detector catheterization lab for use in
cardiac procedures. The new X-ray imaging system enables clinicians to see and work in the smallest vessels of the heart, while reducing X-ray exposure and procedure times for them and their patients.
(source: Philips Medical Systems)

March 14, 2002
To Curb Medical Errors, Patients Should 'Speak Up'
The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have launched a national campaign, titled "Speak Up", to promote the fact that patients must play an active role in preventing healthcare errors by speaking up when they see something amiss. We at the Angioplasty PTCA Home Page endorse this position and believe, as many of the top interventional cardiologists do, that these procedures, in which the patient is awake, are a prime example of a doctor-patient partnership.
(source: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations)

March 14, 2002
Guidant Introduces New Product for Treating Peripheral Vascular Disease
The company has received FDA clearance to market the new AGILTRAC™ .018 Peripheral Dilatation Catheter for treating peripheral vascular disease. An estimated 10 million patients in the United States alone suffer from peripheral vascular disease (PVD), which is a condition characterized by blockages in vessels supplying the kidneys and limbs.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

March 12, 2002
Hospital 'Report Cards' Get Mediocre Grade
A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that so-called "hospital report cards" are not necessarily indicative of the best medical care -- sometimes reputation and "word-of-mouth" may be more accurate.
(source: By Adam Marcus, HealthScoutNews)

March 11, 2002
Antibiotics May Prevent Second Heart Attack
In the current Circulation, a Finnish study of 148 heart-attack showed that those who took a 3-month course of the antibiotic clarithromycin were 41% less likely to have another cardiovascular "event" during the 18 months than the placebo group.
(source: Reuters Health)

March 11, 2002
Heart Disease is Leading Cause of Death in Women
A short TV news story that highlights the sometimes overlooked fact that "11 times as many women die of heart disease than the leading causes of death combined."
(source: News Channel 5, Cleveland/Akron, Ohio)

March 11, 2002
Pollution Constricts Blood Vessels, Study Finds
Air pollution causes the blood vessels of healthy people to close up, which helps explain why high levels of pollution are linked not only to breathing problems but also to heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that air pollution contributed to 60,000 heart-related deaths in 1996.
(source: Maggie Fox, Reuters)

March 10, 2002
Clot-buster drugs can put elderly at risk
Clot-busting drugs that save thousands of heart attack patients each year can result in life-threatening bleeding when given to certain elderly patients, states a study from Harvard Medical School. However, a co-author of the study cautioned, "In no way do I think this study supports the recommendation that elderly patients shouldn't be treated." Rather, he says, the study "suggests strongly that physicians have to be very careful in their decision-making, selecting only appropriate patients." He said doctors must consider alternatives to clot-busters, including immediate balloon angioplasty.
(source: Steve Sternberg, USA Today)

March 7, 2002
Guidant Halts Further Development on Actinomycin-D Drug Eluting Stent Program
Preliminary results (first 90 patients) of Guidant's ACTION clinical trial study indicate that actinomycin-D is not effective in preventing restenosis and patients treated with actinomycin-D eluting stents have an unacceptably high target lesion revascularization rate. In the interests of the patients, the trial has been halted by Guidant.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

March 4, 2002
Heart Risk May Rebound After Stopping Statins
Among patients with acute coronary syndrome who were taking statins, those who stopped taking the drugs after being hospitalized for chest pain were nearly three times as likely to have a heart attack or die as those who kept taking the cholesterol-lowering drugs, according to a report in the March 26th issue of Circulation.
(source: Reuters Health)

February 27, 2002
Guidant Announces CE Mark Approval of Next Generation Lead for Use with Heart Failure Devices
The EASYTRAK 2 lead design allows the physician to position the pacing electrodes in a vein on the left side of the heart using an over-the-wire technique similar to the system used in angioplasty procedures -- another case of how the basic concept of using the circulatory system as a "highway for therapy" developed by the pioneers of angioplasty, has expanded to treating many other disease conditions.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

February 21, 2002
Operation on Fetus's Heart Valve Called a 'Science Fiction' Success
In a demonstration of how coronary angioplasty techniques and devices have affected medicine as a whole, a surgical team at Childrens Hospital in Boston was able to prevent the development of hypoplastic left heart syndrome by operating on a fetus to open a closed heart valve, using an angioplasty balloon -- the first time in the United States this defect has ever been corrected in a fetus.
(source: Children's Hospital Boston)

February 11, 2002
Boston Scientific Announces First Human Use of Carotid Stent System in United States
A stent used to open the carotid (neck) artery has been combined with a low profile filter to prevent embolic debris from travelling to the brain during the procedure. The procedure was performed at the Arizona Heart Institute and is part of a new U.S. clinical trial that may include up to 775 patients at 40 sites.
(source: Boston Scientific)

February 1, 2002
Cardiac catheterization: Where are we in 2002?
This article (free registration required) by George W. Vetrovec, MD and Spencer B. King III, MD is an interesting overview about how the use of cath labs increased after Andreas Gruentzig’s pioneer coronary intervention in 1977.
(source: Cardiology Today)

February 1, 2002
Many Heart Attack Patients Miss Out on Treatment
A new international study in The Lancet states that 1 in 3 patients having a serious heart attack may not be given emergency treatment to restore blood flow. These treatments are normally "clot-busting" drugs or angioplasty. The patients tended to be those over the age of 75, those without chest pain and those with a history of diabetes, congestive heart failure, heart attack or heart bypass surgery.
(source: Keith Mulvihill, Reuters Health / The Lancet)

February 1, 2002
Women, Elderly Wait Longer for Heart Attack Care
In two different studies over a 7-year-period, it has been found that elderly individuals, females, diabetics and minorities continue to experience delays in both arriving at the hospital after having heart attack symptoms and receiving timely treatment for those symptoms.
(source: Charnicia E. Huggins, Reuters Health / Annals of Emergency Medicine)

February 1, 2002
Guidant Announces Filing for European Approval to Market Drug Eluting Stent
Guidant has filed for CE Mark approval to market the ACHIEVE™ drug eluting paclitaxel-coated coronary stent in Europe. Paclitaxel acts to prevent excessive cell re-growth (restenosis) at the site of the stent placement. Recent clinical studies suggest that paclitaxel-coated stents have a positive impact on the prevention of restenosis.
(source: Guidant Corporation)

January 30, 2002
New Guidelines for Surgery in Heart Patients
The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology have issued new guidelines on performing non-cardiac operations in people with heart disease--highlighting, among other issues, the importance of delaying surgery in patients who have recently had stents placed in clogged heart arteries.
(source: Reuters Health)

January 21, 2002
Cold as ice: Opening arteries with cryoplasty
Experimental technique freezes away blockages. "It's almost like the cells have a switch that's like a self-destruct button," In apoptosis, "the body compartmentalizes the cell -- sort of pinches off little pieces at a time -- and removes it." That process is gentler on the artery wall than angioplasty, preventing much of the inflammation and scarring that contribute to restenosis, says Dr. James Joye, director of peripheral vascular interventions at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, California. He's also co-founder of CryoVascular Systems, the company that markets the device used in the procedure.
(source: CNN)

January 18, 2002
Coated Stents Performing Well in Trials
A good overview of the various coated stent clinical trials now underway and some looks to the future.
(source: Btech Investor)

January 7, 2002
New Blood Filtering Device Being Studied for Use During Angioplasty
Physicians at the UPMC Health System Cardiovascular Institute are beginning a research study to test the effectiveness of a small basket-like filtering device to capture particles in the blood that may be released during angioplasty.
(source: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center)

January 2, 2002
New stent a potential breakthrough
Doctors are close to solving one of the biggest challenges in treating heart disease. Initial tests with an improved version of the conventional stent show it can open clogged arteries without the danger they will close up again. Now a major trial of the device, which releases an immune-suppressing drug, is underway.
(source: NBC Nightly News, Robert Bazell)

January 1, 2002
Heart Disease Remains Top Killer In United States; One Third Preventable
Almost 62 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease and nearly one million die from the disease annually. While it's by far the top killer (almost twice the cancer death rate) it is estimated that a third of these deaths could be prevented by following basic guidelines such as better diet, exercise and stopping smoking -- smoking is responsible for one in five of these deaths.
(source: Washington Post)