The following archived links to
news, company press releases and other information sources
are provided as a service by the Angioplasty.Org, which
is not responsible for the content found on these external
sites.
If you wish a different date range,
select a news archive, or our special Drug-Eluting Stent
NewsCenter, from the following menu:
December 31, 2003 Not
a Lean Year for Health News
(Scroll down article) to read, "...the medical community can take
some comfort from continuing progress against the U.S.'s No. 1 killer
-- heart disease. And researchers learned again this year that often
the simplest answers are the best ones. Angioplasty...trumps clot-busting
drugs for those suffering a heart attack...." (source: Tim Smart, HealthDay)
December 16, 2003 Study
Links Pollution to Heart Disease
Air pollution in U.S. cities is twice as likely to cause death from heart
disease as respiratory ailments, say researchers in the latest issue
of Circulation, a publication of the American Heart Association (source: Bobby Ross Jr., Associated Press)
December 13, 2003 Hospital's
Cath Lab: Care By Design
This story tells the value of having a cath lab in a small community
in Rhode Island. (source: Gloria Russell, The Westerly Sun)
December 12, 2003 Ski
coach survives surprise heart attack
Interesting human interest story about how a high school ski coach in
Little Falls, Minnesota experienced a heart attack on the trail and still
got himself to the cath lab where an angioplasty was performed. Ten days
later, he's back at work. (source: Star Tribune)
December 10, 2003 Emergency
cardiac monitoring strategy tested in ambulances
Under a UCSF-designed program, all ambulances in Santa Cruz County now
are equipped with sophisticated cardiac monitors that can send vital
data directly by cell phone to the emergency department of the receiving
hospital. The story is told of a heart-attack victim who collapsed on
the road, dialed 911 and wound up having his artery cleared via angioplasty
only 48 minutes after arriving at the hospital (the cath lab was prepped
as he was being transported). (source: University of California - San Francisco)
December 1, 2003 'They
wash the cholesterol out of my blood'
From the U.K., a report on a lipid-lowering procedure, called LDL Apheresis,
which is similar to dialysis and in certain cases may offer hope to those
with high cholesterol that doesn't respond to other treatments (source: BBC News)
November 29, 2003 Discovery
of heart attack gene may help diagnose risk within families
An extended family living in the American mid-west state of Iowa has
helped scientists to find the first gene that unequivocally causes heart
attacks in late middle-age. Eric Topol, MD of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation
in Ohio stated, "This stands out because of its potential impact.
It's a great first step towards understanding the basis of coronary artery
disease at its genetic roots." (source: Steve Connor, Independent News UK)
November 25, 2003 Harvard
Health Letter Names Top Ten Health Stories of 2003
Coming in at #3: "Angioplasty is the best treatment for heart attacks:
Two studies this year have helped to establish angioplasty as the preferred
treatment for heart attack." (source: Harvard Health Letter)
November 24, 2003 Impact
of Renal Insufficiency in Patients Undergoing Primary Angioplasty
for Acute Myocardial Infarction
A multi-center study in the American Heart Association journal Circulation states
that the "importance of renal insufficiency (RI) in patients undergoing
primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute myocardial
infarction (AMI) has not been well characterized and is associated with
a markedly increased risk of mortality, as well as bleeding and restenosis.
Novel approaches are needed to improve the otherwise poor prognosis of
patients with RI and AMI." (source: Circulation)
November 23, 2003 The
new plaque busters
A round-up of several studies involving new drugs that were presented
at this year's American Heart Association session and what they are telling
doctors about the nature of coronary artery disease. Read more in depth
articles about these studies below. (source: Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY)
November 17, 2003 Aspirin-resistance
Linked to Increased Risk for Adverse Outcomes in Routine
Stenting Procedure
Researchers found that out of 136 patients scheduled for coronary stent
procedure, nearly 20 percent were aspirin-resistant and that these patients
had an increased risk of adverse outcomes in spite of being pre-treated
with both Aspirin and Plavix. (source: ADVANCE for Administrators of the Laboratory)
November 14, 2003 Commissioner
undergoes angioplasty to clear blockage
Massachusetts Education Commissioner David Driscoll underwent angioplasty
Thursday night to remove a blockage from a main artery in his heart,
and was expected to spend the weekend recovering at Massachusetts General
Hospital. (source: Boston Globe)
November 13, 2003 Study
of Two Cholesterol Drugs Finds One Halts Heart Disease
More in-depth story about the advantages offered by Lipitor over Pravachol
and how Steven Nissen, MD of the Cleveland Clinic uses intravascular
ultrasound to measure the arterial plaque. However, another
article from HealthDayNews, titled "Doctors
Divided Over Cholesterol Drugs Study", reveals some disagreement
in the medical profession about the significance of the results (source: Gina Kolata, New York Times -- free registration required
by NYT / Amanda Gardner, HealthDayNews)
November 12, 2003 Drugs
That Stop Plaque
A good round-up of the various studies and presentations made at this
year's American Heart Association meeting about pharmaceuticals and their
effects on plaque buildup in the coronary arteries, and even plaque reversal.
The articles starts with the Cleveland Clinic study that showed Lipitor
superior to Pravachol and goes on to other drugs. (source: Matthew Herper, Forbes.com)
November 12, 2003 Emergency
Surgery Critical After Failed Angioplasty
An estimated one in four patients are at increased risk of death or harm
if emergency heart surgery is delayed after they have failed angioplasty.
A Canadian study looked at over 6,000 angioplasties performed, 45 of
which required emergency bypass surgery to fix a problem, a rate of 0.7%
-- of these 11 patients would have been harmed if surgery had been delayed. (source: HealthDayNews)
November 12, 2003 Antiplatelet
Drug Found to Reduce Risk of Recurrent Heart Attacks and
Stroke Is Extremely Cost-Effective
The antiplatelet medicine clopidogrel is not only effective in reducing
the risk of recurrent heart attack and stroke, it is also extremely cost-effective,
according to data presented today by researchers from Emory University
at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions. (source: Emory Heart Center)
November 11, 2003 Drug
Proven to Benefit Heart Attack Victims Vastly Underused
A study of the CRUSADE registry shows almost two out of three patients
did not receive a class of clot-inhibiting drugs, known as glycoprotein
(GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors, within the first 24 hours of heart attack symptoms,
despite the fact that clinical trials that have proven that the drugs
save lives. The study also points out that other drugs, as well as emergency
angioplasty, are underutilized. (source: Duke University Medical Center)
November 11, 2003 Michigan
Angioplasty Project Cuts Problems and Deaths
A multi-hospital effort to improve angioplasty care in Michigan has increased
use of helpful drugs, cut deaths and complications, and yielded important
data that can aid angioplasty care everywhere. (source: University of Michigan Health System)
November 11, 2003 Growth
factor grows stem cells that help heal hearts
A very small study (lead author: Chris A. Glover MD, assistant professor
of medicine at the University of Ottawa and the Ottawa Heart Institute
in Ontario) has shown positive results with a drug -- granulocyte colony
stimulating factor (G-CSF) -- that stimulates bone marrow to produce
stem cells helped regenerate damaged heart muscle (source: American Heart Association)
November 11,
2003 Stents
open arteries, but keep costs down
A report on the CADILLAC study (Controlled Abciximab and Device Investigation
to Lower Late Angioplasty Complications) appearing in today's Circulation
Rapid Access, shows that stents are not only more effective at keeping
arteries open, but also cost-effective as well. More in the study also
speaks to the role of abciximab in catheter interventions and the results
as to whether it is cost-effective were not as straight-forward as the
balloon angioplasty/stent comparison. (source: American Heart Association)
November 10, 2003 Five-Year
Data Presented at AHA Demonstrates Significant Patient
Benefits of CardioGenesis TMR Over Drug Therapy
The study results showed that patients randomized to Holmium:YAG TMR
had a significantly improved survival rate, 65 percent at five years,
than those randomized to maximum medical management, 52 percent. The
overwhelming majority of patients treated with TMR (88 percent) continued
to experience significant improvement in angina pain five years after
their original TMR treatment. The conclusions of this study differ from
those in a recent Journal
of the ACC, also reported in the New York Times. (source: CardioGenesis Corporation)
November 10, 2003 Heal
thyself: Patients' bone marrow cells restore failing hearts
Follow-up from a study by Bodo E. Strauer, M.D., professor of medicine
at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf, Germany, patients who
received stem cell therapy from their own bone marrow showed improvement
in heart function. The stem cells were delivered via catheter during
balloon angioplasty and stenting. Read
another article about this study from Reuters. (source: American Heart Association / Reuters)
November 9, 2003 U-M
study reveals major differences between women and men in
cardiovascular disease traits and treatment
A poster presentation from the current American Heart Association annual
meeting discusses the GRACE study (Global Registry of Acute Coronary
Events) and shows that coronary artery disease (CAD) manifests itself
somewhat differently in men and women which may account for the fact
that CAD in women tends to be treated less aggressively. Sujoya Dey,
M.D., one of the study's authors, recommends to women, “Believe
yourself and your symptoms, and bring them to the attention of your physician
to figure out how to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask what else
they could be doing for you.” (For help on communicating with your
doctor, read the article "You
and Your Physician" in our PatientCenter.) (source: University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center)
November 9, 2003 CREST
study finds cilostazol reduces restenosis by almost 40
percent
A new and highly effective weapon in the war on heart disease could be
on the horizon, according to results of the "Cilostazol for RESTenosis" (CREST)
study presented today at the American Heart Association's Scientific
Sessions. The drug therapy consists of two pills a day and, in the words
of John S. Douglas Jr., MD, professor of medicine and Director of Interventional
Cardiology at Emory University, "...showed that this beneficial
effect occurred in patients with diabetes and small blood vessels, two
important subgroups that are inherently more difficult to treat." (source: Emory Heart Center )
November
9, 2003 One-Third
of Heart Failure Patients Don't Receive Life-Saving Therapies
The ADHERE study (Acute Decompensated Heart failurE national REgistry)
presented at the AHA's Scientific Sessions 2003, concludes that a third
of heart failure patients who are ideal candidates for ACE-inhibitors
are not given prescriptions for them, almost three-quarters are not given
discharge instructions (about follow-up appointments, medications, etc.)
and 69% are not counseled on how to stop smoking. (source: American Heart Association)
November
6, 2003 Heart
Laser Treatment Used Mostly on Patients Who Don't Meet
the Federal Criteria
Although this article is about a surgical procedure, called TMR (TransMyocardial
Revascularization) a similar catheter-based version exists, called PMR
(Percutaneous Myocardial Revascularization) which in some cardiologists'
opinion holds promise for patients who cannot benefit from surgery or
angioplasty. PMR was not approved by the FDA in July 2001; the company
that makes the laser device is hoping
to resubmit it for approval in the near future. The article
reports on the "off label" use of the surgical procedure and
its increased mortality. The abstract of the study it is based on can
be found here. (source: Gina Kolata, New York Times / Journal of the American College
of Cardiology)
November 5, 2003 Cholesterol
Study Offers Hope for a Bold Therapy
An extensive article (free registration with NY Times required)
on this new research study, being published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association. You can also read the abstract of the study, titled "Effect
of Recombinant ApoA-I Milano on Coronary Atherosclerosis in Patients
With Acute Coronary Syndromes". While the study was done
on a small group, the extremely promising results make a more extensive
clinical trial a necessity. Some have characterized the new drug as "Drano" for
the arteries. (source: Gina Kolata, New York Times / Journal of the American Medical
Association / Toronto Star)
November 4, 2003 Unusual
fatigue may be warning symptom of heart attack in women
About 95% of women reported having new or different symptoms more than
a month before their heart attacks that resolved after their heart attacks.
This led them, in retrospect, to believe that these symptoms were related
to the subsequent heart attack. The most common early symptoms were:
unusual fatigue — 70%; sleep disturbance — 48%; shortness
of breath — 42%; indigestion — 39% and anxiety — 35%. (source: American Heart Association)
October 29, 2003 Halting
Aspirin Therapy May Harm Heart Patients
A French study of 1,236 coronary patients has concluded that stopping
aspiring therapy (used for blood-thinning) even on a doctor's orders
(patients are often advised to stop taking aspirin prior to surgery or
dental work) can be hazardous. 10% of the patients in the study were
hospitalized within a week after stopping aspirin. (source: Ed Edelson, HealthdayNews)
October 26, 2003 Generous
Medicare Payments Spur Specialty Hospital Boom
An article from the Business Section of today's NY Times examines the
economics of Medicare and the building of new "heart centers". (Note:
free registration with NY Times is required.) (source: Reed Abelson, New York Times)
October 24, 2003 More
Than One Stent at a Time Safe After All
Simultaneous stenting of coronary, carotid and several other arteries
with significant atherosclerosis may save money and help patients avoid
having to undergo multiple stenting procedures, according to an Austrian
study in the November issue of "Catheterization and Cardiovascular
Interventions." (source: HealthDayNews)
October 23, 2003 Blood
test can warn of heart attack
A new blood test, identified
by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic, has been found to
be highly predictive of heart attacks in patient who have chest pain.
In the words of Richard Stein of the Weill Cornell School of Medicine
in New York, "It's the first simple blood test that will allow us
to take a patient who comes into the hospital with chest pain and say
whether he's in the early stages of a heart attack or if he's at risk
of having a heart attack in 30 to 60 days." You can also read the
abstract of the study, "Prognostic
Value of Myeloperoxidase in Patients with Chest Pain" in
the New England Hournal of Medicine. (source: Steve Sternberg, USA Today / Cleveland Clinic / New England
Journal of Medicine)
October 20, 2003 Study
tests stents vs. surgery for clogged carotids
Local perspective on the CREST (Carotid Revascularization: Endarterectomy
vs. Stenting Trial) study currently being done at over 60 hospital centers
to determine the effectiveness and safety of carotid stenting. (source: Kristi L. Nelson)
October 14, 2003 Quick
fix -- Technique allows hospitals and doctors to treat
heart attacks faster
Yet another local story (appearing in the Times Daily of Northwest Alabama)
about bringing a heart attack victim not to the closest hospital, but
to one that practices emergency angioplasty. (source: Daniel Q. Haney, Associated Press Medical Editor)
October 13, 2003 Strong
Medicine: The Uncut Version
Interventional cardiologists versus surgeons -- the rise of low-invasion
techniques—and the doctors who specialize in them—has made
the competition for surgical patients, well, cutthroat. (source: Joanna Kaufman, New York Magazine)
October
13, 2003 Heart
attack strategy changes
Local perspective from Everett, Washington on how the treatment of heart
attacks has changed in terms of transporting patients to hospitals that
perform angioplasty, instead of the nearest one. (source: Sharon Salyer , Daily Herald)
October 12, 2003 Angioplasty:
a look at local efforts
Fewer and fewer patients in the area are likely to receive thrombolytic
therapy -- the use of clot-dissolving drugs -- in the case of a heart
attack. (source: Brian Bardwell , Cleveland Morning Journal )
October 10, 2003 The
best treatment most heart victims aren't getting; Drugs
more likely to be used over angioplasty procedure
A very interesting article on why in many places heart attack patients
are not being offered angioplasty. In the article, Dr. Joseph Carrozza,
chief of interventional cardiology at Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess
Medical Center, states: "There are a lot of strong community hospitals
that aren't offering primary angioplasty and would line up all their
politicians against an effort to have heart attacks taken away from their
hospitals." (source: CNN)
October 4, 2003 McBride
Undergoes Angioplasty
Former gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride, who lost to Gov. Jeb Bush
in November's election, underwent an angioplasty to open a closed coronary
artery that caused him to collapse this week, his family said in a statement
Friday. (source: Tampa Tribune)
October
1, 2003 Seven-year
outcome in the RITA-2 trial: coronary angioplasty versus
medical therapy
The results of this study comparing angioplasty to medical (drug) treatment
shows no significant difference in the two therapies with regard to risk
of death or repeat heart attack (in patients considered suitable for
either therapy) -- however symptoms of angina are controlled better by
angioplasty. (source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology)
September 26, 2003 Heart
Disease is the Most Serious Health Threat for Women Globally WHO
publishes results of largest-ever global collaboration
on heart disease, highlighting risk for women
Sunday, September 28 is "World Heart Day“ -- these two press
releases are about the impact of cardiovascular disease on women worldwide.
The world Heart Foundation states that 18 times more women die from heart
disease and stroke than from breast cancer. And Dr Catherine Le Galès-Camus,
WHO Assistant Director-General, Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health
says, "Although most women fear cancer, particularly breast cancer,
they do not make the same efforts to safeguard themselves from heart
disease, which is eminently preventable. We must strive to make women
aware that to keep their hearts healthy, they need to eat smart, kick
smoking and move for health.” (source: World Health Foundation (WHO) / World Heart Foundation)
September 25, 2003 Boston
Scientific Manufacturing Facility Named Best Plant By Industry
Week Magazine
Commenting on being named one of the 10 best plants in North America
by Industry Week magazine, President and CEO Jim Tobin stated, "This
is national recognition for our ongoing efforts to create a world- class
manufacturing environment at Boston Scientific.... The award is further
evidence that we are making solid progress toward our goal of increasing
productivity and enhancing innovation." Click
here to read the actual report in Industry Week. (source: Boston Scientific Corporation / Industry Week)
September 19, 2003 Abbott
Announces 30-Day Results of Clinical Trial For Carotid
Artery Stent and Filter System
The company announced the preliminary results from its SECuRITY trial,
a registry of high-risk patients utilizing the MedNova EmboShield® bare-wire
filter and MedNova Xact® self-expanding carotid stent system. The
trial was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the filter-stent
combination as a minimally invasive option for treating carotid artery
disease in patients considered at high risk for surgery. (source: Abbott Laboratories)
September 18, 2003 Guidant
Announces Additional Findings of Key Study In Emerging
Field of Heart Attack Prevention
This company press release reports on a new imaging technology, optical
coherence tomography (OCT), which was used to examine highly detailed
images of complex coronary lesions in patients with coronary artery disease.vulnerable.
The study showed correlation between lipid-rich plaques and heart attacks
-- in short: not all plaques are created equal -- some are more dangerous
than others. (source: Guidant Corporation)
September 16, 2003 Bypass
surgery may relieve chest pain better than angioplasty
plus stent
Data from the Stent or Surgery trial, the first in which patients were
randomized for either bypass surgery or angioplasty to study longer term
effects on relief of angina, shows that while both procedures were highly
successful, surprisingly the surgically treated patients showed 2 or
3 points greater improvement in chest pain relief and quality of life.
One of the study's authors states, “Since there were substantial
improvements in chest pain and quality of life in both groups, the findings
should be used more as a guide to treating patients with angina rather
than viewed as an endorsement of one procedure over another.” (source: American Heart Association)
August 31, 2003 Study
indicates blood pressure drug should be considered even
for patients with mild coronary disease
At the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) the
EUROPA study was presented, showing that coronary heart disease patients
who had been given the ACE inhibitor perindopril fared at least 20% better
than the control group. The study recommends that this therapy be widely
considered for all patients, even those with only moderate risk. (source: Emma Ross, AP Medical Writer)
August 27, 2003 Boston
Scientific Announces FDA Approval of the EPT-1000 XP™ Cardiac
Ablation System for the Treatment of Atrial Flutter
It has been estimated that there are more than 200,000 new patients diagnosed
with atrial flutter each year in the United States. Gregory Feld, MD
of the University of California San Diego Medical Center, principal Investigator
of the clinical trial involving the device, stated, "The results
of this multi-center study show shorter procedure times with fewer ablations
and a chronic success rate for atrial flutter in excess of 96 percent." (source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
August 25, 2003 Black
Women Get Worse Heart Care, Study Finds
According to a study, published in the American Heart Association journal
Circulation, black women may have a higher risk of heart disease than
white women, but they get worse care. Dr. Michael Shlipak, who directed
the study, said black women need to be aware that heart disease is more
likely to kill them than anything else and take charge when they see
a doctor. "We don't really know if the undertreatment of black women
is being driven by physicians or patients. But, the more women are empowered
to participate in their cardiac care, the better off they will be," he
said. (source: Reuters)
August
21, 2003 Angioplasties
Are Worth the Wait
Results of the DANAMI-2 study, published in today's NEJM (read
abstract here), concludes that transferring patients who are
experiencing myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation (heart attack)
to a hospital equipped to perform angioplasty is superior to on-site
thrombolytic treatment, provided the transfer can occur within two hours.
The risk of death, repeat heart attack or stroke was reduced by 60%.
This study strongly bolsters earlier findings that heart attack patients
should be brought to an interventional center, NOT to the nearest hospital. (source: CBS News / New England Journal of Medicine)
August 19, 2003 Heart
Risk Factors Are Real -- Studies Confirm
Contrary to much that has been published, citing the inevitablitiy of
heart attacks due to genetics, etc., two studies published in tomorrow's Journal
of the American Medical Association state that most heart events
occur in individuals who have had exposure to one or more conventional
risk factors, several of which are under the control of the patients.
The major implication of these findings is that patients can do far more
in helping prevent heart attacks than previously thought. You can access
the full-text articles for a fee from JAMA entitled Major
Risk Factors as Antecedents of Fatal and Nonfatal Coronary Heart Disease
Events and Prevalence
of Conventional Risk Factors in Patients With Coronary Heart Disease. (source: ABCNews / Journal of the American Medical Association)
August 14, 2003 Boston
Scientific Launches Next Generation Intravascular Ultrasound
Imaging System
Boston Scientific, which states it is the "worldwide market leader
in IVUS technology", announces the launch of its next generation
intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging system, the Galaxy®2 System.
These systems consist of consoles and catheters, which together provide
cross-sectional and longitudinal ultrasound images of the inside of an
artery or the heart. For background information on the field of intravascular
ultrasound, read our article
on IVUS. (source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
August 11, 2003 Cells
'reverse heart attack damage'
The body's master cells can repair the damage caused by a heart attack,
suggests a study by Dr Victor Dzau and colleagues at Brigham & Women's
Hospital in Boston. Tests on rats have shown that stem cells can restore
up to 90% of the heart's ability to pump blood around the body, which
is often reduced following an attack. (source: BBC News)
August 7, 2003 Studies
Sow Doubt Over Hormone Therapy Benefits
Two new studies about the effects on coronary heart disease of hormone
replacement therapy for postmenopausal women were published in today's New
England Journal of Medicine. Hormone therapy, originally indicated
for relief of the symptoms of menopause, was touted for years as a protection
for heart disease in women. Studies published earlier this year disputed
this. Now these studies agree: one study -- abstract
here -- stated there was no benefit in stopping the advancement
of coronary heart disease, while the second -- abstract
here -- actually showed a significant increased risk
of heart attack, especially in the first year. Another
article from ABC News points out that, while the actual
risks are not tremendous, these factors should be taken into account
by women and prescribing physicians. Finally, an article
in the Washington Post discusses how a number of women
want to resume hormone therapy and what members of the medical profession
are recommending. (source: Reuters / New England Journal of Medicine / ABC News /
Washington Post)
August 6, 2003 Treatment
After Heart Attack Should Be Speedy
A study headed by Dr. David A. Alter, from the University of Toronto,
published in the current Journal of the American College of Cardiology -- read
abstract here -- states that heart attack patients
admitted to hospitals that perform "invasive" treatments (angioplasty
and bypass surgery) do better than those at "non-invasive" hospitals. (source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology / Reuters
Health)
August 5, 2003 New
Guidelines for Echocardiography
Updated guidelines on echocardiography include new recommendations for
its use during stress or exercise testing, as well as in patients with
heart failure or those who are critically ill. Read
a PDF file of the Guidelines here. (source: HealthDay / American College of Cardiology - American Heart
Association Task Force)
August 5, 2003 Anger
trigger to heart disease found?
A study in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine by Edward C. Suarez,
PhD of Duke University concludes that anger and hostility may trigger
the production of blood protein interleukin 6 (or IL-6) involved in inflammation
-- for the first time making a physiological link between the emotional
state and heart disease. Also read
the abstract. (source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation Science News / Psychosomatic
Medicine)
August 1, 2003 What
Do Patients Want and Do They Get It?
A report on a study from the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that
patients can have a significant effect on what their doctor does -- patients
who requested a referral to a specialist were four times more likely
to receive the referral than those who did not make the request. Also read
a report on the study from Reuters Health, (source: Archives of Internal Medicine / Reuters Health / )
August 1, 2003 Physical
Activity May Slow Atherosclerosis
This article, reporting on findings published in the July issue of the
American Journal of Medicine, states "Leisure time physical activity
slows the build-up of plaque in the arteries (atherosclerosis), and the
more vigorous the activity, the greater the benefit." (source: Reuters Health)
July, 2003 Internet
Access and Empowerment: A Community-based Health Initiative
An abstract in the July issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine about
a research project that shows that access to online health information
increased empowerment, confidence in technology and control over health-related
decisions in a low-income neighborhood in Chicago. (source: Journal of General Internal Medicine)
July 30, 2003 Boston
Scientific and Corautus Genetics Enter Gene Therapy Alliance
The companies have entered into a strategic alliance to develop and commercialize
a gene therapy technology to treat cardiovascular disease, focusing initially
on patients with severe ischemic heart disease who have been unresponsive
to conventional therapies. For more background on this emerging
field, see our article on "Angiogenesis". (source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
July 30, 2003 Medtronic
Announces U.S Availability of the NC Stormer® Balloon
Catheter
The company press release states, "A non-compliant balloon, such
as the NC Stormer balloon, is used primarily for treating challenging
coronary lesions, as well as to reopen partially closed stents or further
expand implanted stents—either during the initial interventional
procedure or during a subsequent intervention." (source: Medtronic, Inc.)
July 29, 2003 Statins
help heart failure patients without high cholesterol
“This is the first prospective study to show that statins have beneficial
effects in heart failure in the absence of coronary artery disease or high blood
cholesterol,” says senior author James K. Liao, M.D., director of vascular
medicine research at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and associate professor
of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass. “This was a surprising
finding in that the benefits occur after only 14 weeks of treatment and with
a very low dose of the drug.” (source: American Heart Association)
July 25, 2003 Virtual
medicine: Students train on simulation mannequin
Students at UC Davis Medical Center are using "Simantha", a
new highly-detailed medical procedure simulator, to learn the fine points
of catheter-based interventions without risk to a patient. (source: Alison C. Burggren, Sacramento Bee)
July 23, 2003 Diet
May Cut Cholesterol As Much As Drugs Do
Researchers in Canada have published a study in today's Journal of
the American Medical Association(read
abstract) that shows a vegetarian diet high in soluble
fibre and low in saturated fats can lower "bad" cholesterol
as much as currently used pharmaceuticals. (source: Scientific American / Journal of the American Medical Association)
July 22, 2003 Early
heart disease in parents linked to thicker artery walls
in offspring
If your parents had coronary heart disease before age 60, the walls of
your neck arteries are more likely to be thicker, putting you at higher
risk of heart disease, too, researchers report in today’s rapid
access issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. (source: American Heart Association)
July 18, 2003 Diadexus
Receives FDA Marketing Clearance for PLAC™ Test "The PLAC™ test is an important new tool
which physicians may use to more accurately predict who
is at risk for heart disease," said Christie Ballantyne,
MD, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
at Baylor College of Medicine and the Methodist DeBakey
Heart Center in Houston. "Somewhere between one-third
and one-half of heart attacks occur in people considered
to have normal LDL cholesterol. This test enables us to
better determine who is at risk for CHD before an adverse
event occurs (source: diaDexus, Inc.)
July 16, 2003 Guidant
Receives U.S. Approval for First Cobalt Chromium Coronary
Stent System
The use of the cobalt chromium alloy allows for a thinner strut design
and a lower profile, which enables physicians to access challenging coronary
blockages. Guidant plans to use its cobalt chromium stent technology
in future programs including drug eluting stents and vulnerable plaque
therapies. (source: Guidant Corporation)
July 15, 2003 Age-related
Stem Cell Loss Prevents Artery Repair And Leads To Atherosclerosis
Scientists at Duke University Medical Center have discovered that a major
problem with aging is an unexpected failure of the bone marrow to produce
progenitor cells that are needed to repair and rejuvenate arteries exposed
to such environmental risks as smoking or caloric abuse. The researchers
demonstrated that an age-related loss of particular stem cells that continually
repair blood vessel damage is critical to determining the onset and progression
of atherosclerosis, which causes arteries to clog and become less elastic. (source: Science Daily)
July 8, 2003 On
the go: Clot buster-blood thinner ambulance combo may jump-start
heart attack treatment
Combining a clot buster with a form of the blood thinner heparin can
be safely initiated for heart attack victims enroute to the hospital – an
approach that reduces the time to treatment and could significantly improve
survival, according to a rapid track study in today’s Circulation:
Journal of the American Heart Association. (source: American Heart Association)
July 8, 2003 American
Heart Association outlines 'chilling' plan to prevent brain
damage after cardiac arrest
Lowering the body temperature of a person who has been resuscitated after
suffering cardiac arrest can help prevent brain damage, according to
an international advisory statement published today in Circulation:
Journal of the American Heart Association. (source: American Heart Association)
June 30, 2003 Hospitals
get OK to offer lucrative angioplasty
The Maryland Health Care Commission on June 19 approved a plan to allow
hospitals that do not offer open-heart surgery services the right to
perform elective angioplasties, provided the hospitals meet criteria
established by the commission. The move is a small but important step
for the "have-not" hospitals that have long been locked out
of the lucrative cardiac surgery market. (source: Baltimore Business Journal)
June 19, 2003 Rosiglitazone
Reduces Development of Heart Stent Blockage
Reporting from the Annual Meeting of the American Diabetes Association:
the anti-inflammatory drug, rosiglitazone (Avandia), not only lowers
blood sugar levels, but prevents or dramatically reduces the development
of new blockages (restenosis) in heart stents, say researchers. (source: Stanford University)
June 13, 2003 Guidant
pleads guilty to defect cover-ups
The company settled criminal and civil claims for $92.4 million, the
largest ever fine paid by a medical device group for failure to make
reports required by law with regulators. The problems were with Guidant's
abdominal aortic aneurysm repair device, which was taken off the market
in 2001. (source: Christopher Bowe, Financial Times)
June 10, 2003 Bleed-detecting
MRI may identify dangerous plaque
Not all plaque is equal, and complicated plaque that involves intra-plaque
bleeding is at high risk for stroke or heart attack. Two studies show
how Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can help identify these plaques. (source: American Heart Association)
June 10, 2003 Boston
Scientific Announces FDA and CE Mark Approvals for Cutting
Balloon Ultra2™ Dilatation Device
The Cutting Balloon Ultra2 device represents the next-generation of the
Company's Cutting Balloon™ product. It features tiny, longitudinally
mounted atherotomes (microsurgical blades) that help reduce resistance
of a lesion to expansion. The atherotomes create incisions that relieve
stress in the artery as the balloon inflates, reducing the force necessary
to expand the vessel. (source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
June 10, 2003 Disease
of the Peripheral Arteries Can Be a Crucial Warning Signal
The authors states, "The disease is an early warning sign that cries
out for help. Yet two-thirds of those afflicted do not know they have
it because they have no symptoms. Doctors often fail to diagnose it even
in those with symptoms, though there is a simple, noninvasive test for
it. And even many who know they have it are not receiving potentially
lifesaving treatment." (source: Jane E, Brody, New York Times (registration required)
June 10, 2003 Guidant
Begins Second Clinical Trial to Develop Minimally Invasive
Treatment for Carotid Artery Disease
The company announced the enrollment of the first patient in its second
clinical trial designed to evaluate carotid artery stenting as a minimally
invasive alternative for patients who are at high risk for stroke and
are ineligible for current surgical options or at high surgical-risk.
The clinical trial, called ARCHeR RX, (ACCULINK for Revascularization
of Carotids in High-Risk Patients), is a prospective, non-randomized,
multi-center, single-arm study that will enroll 145 patients in the United
States, Europe and South America. (source: Guidant Corporation)
June 10, 2003 Off-pump
bypass results in fewer complications
Since most patients in midlife now have angioplasty instead of bypass,
the surgical population is increasingly older. Off-pump bypass surgery
has been developed to reduce the negative effects of surgery. Hawaiian
researchers have found a 30-fold reduction in the micro-embolic burden – tiny
debris that break off in surgery which can travel to the brain and result
in neurological complications. (source: American Heart Association)
June 9, 2003 Boston
Scientific Announces FDA Approval For FilterWire EX™ Embolic
Protection System
The FilterWire EX system is a low-profile embolic filter mounted on a
guidewire that is designed to reduce complications during balloon angioplasty
and stenting procedures in saphenous vein grafts (SVG). It captures embolic
material that becomes dislodged during cardiovascular interventions.
The debris captured by the filter would otherwise travel into the microvasculature
where it could cause a heart attack. The FilterWire EX is the first filter-based
system approved for SVG treatment in the U.S. (source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
April 27, 2003 Who
Will Pay for New J&J Device?
Article states:"Now that Johnson & Johnson's groundbreaking
device for clogged arteries is officially on the U.S. market, the dance
begins over who will pick up the expected $3,200 tab for the product." (source: Kim Dixon, Reuters)
April 25, 2003 Boston
Scientific Close On J&J's Heels With New Stent
More from the business press about the implications of the FDA approval
of J&J's Cypher stent on Thursday for J&J and its competitors. (source: Zina Moukheiber, Forbes.com)
April 25, 2003 A
Clog Clears for J&J
"The FDA finally approves its advanced drug-coated stent for keeping arteries
open. The bad news: Rivals are on the way." (source: Amy Barrett, BusinessWeek Online)
April 24, 2003 Former
Truck Driver To Be First In US To Get Cypher Stent
This Dow Jones article announces that sometime late Thursday, the same
day that the FDA approved Cordis/Johnson & Johnson's Cypher stent,
a patient of Dr. Martin Leon of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York will
be the first in the U.S. to receive the stent outside of clinical trials.
(You can read an interview
with Dr. Leon in our archive.) (source: Daniel Rosenberg, Dow Jones Business News)
April 24, 2003 FDA
Approves Drug-Eluting Stent for Clogged Heart Arteries
Today marks the long-awaited US approval of Johnson & Johnson's Cypher™ stent.
The FDA states: "The Food and Drug Administration today approved
the first drug-eluting stent for angioplasty procedures to open clogged
coronary arteries. The new stent slowly releases a drug, and has been
shown in clinical studies to significantly reduce the rate of re-blockage
that occurs with existing stents". Also read
this press release from the company, and an
article from Reuters. (source: US Food & Drug Administration / Cordis Corporation
/ Debra Sherman, Reuters )
April 21, 2003 Patients
wait, risking heart attack
Some of the 40,000 U.S. patients lining up for the next big Johnson & Johnson
product are risking heart attacks while they wait, doctors said. Richard
Schatz, a Scripps Clinic cardiologist and co-inventor of the original
stent, said, “We’ve had a couple crash and burns, where we
said let’s wait it out, and then they’ve had a heart attack
while they are waiting. We’ve been thinking since March that (approval)
would be right around the corner. We’ve been putting off as many
(procedures) as we can.” (source: Paige Orr, Bloomberg News)
April 16, 2003 Cancer
Drug Improves Stent Outcomes; Taxol keeps narrowed vessels
open after angioplasty, study finds
This article summarizes the results of the Asian Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent
Clinical Trial (ASPECT), which were published in this week's New England
Jounral of Medicine. under the title, "A
Paclitaxel-Eluting Stent for the Prevention of Coronary Restenosis. " The
study used a stent manufactured by Cook. A later U.S. study with a different
Cook stent was stopped when it became clear that the trial would fail,
yet the results of this ASPECT trial are very positive, as have been
other Paclitaxel trials, such as the Boston Scientific TAXUS II. It may
be the stent itself, or the polymer coating that makes the difference. (source: Adam Marcus, HealthScout / New England Journal of Medicine)
April 14, 2003 J&J
Still Awaits Approval of Potential Blockbuster Stent
The Cypher stent, approved in Europe for a year now, still has not been
approved by the FDA, although it was recommended for approval by the
FDA panel six months ago. (source: Daniel Rosenberg, Dow Jones Business News)
April 13, 2003 Decisions
elsewhere may help area hospitals
An article from Polk County, Florida, about the effect that a Rhode island
panel's recommendations regarding emergency angioplasty without surgical
backup will have on their local healthcare. (source: Steven N. Levine, Polkonline.com)
April 12, 2003 Study
Faults Veterans Administration on Heart Care
The Agency has vowed to improve its system, but a study showed that patients
at VA hospital are half as likely to receive angioplasty or bypass surgery
as their non-VA counterparts. (source: David Brown, Washington Post)
April 10, 2003 Governor
of Alaska Frank Murkowski has Angioplasty
Murkowski, 70, was flown from Juneau to Anchorage where doctors at Providence
Alaska Medical Center performed the procedure Wednesday night to restore
normal blood flow to the governor's heart. Murkowski had no complications
during the procedure and was in good condition Thursday. He was expected
to be released Friday morning. (source: Mary Pemberton , Associated Press)
April 10, 2003 FDA
Panel Unanimously Approves Cook's Zenith® AAA Endovascular
Graft
A major hurdle was cleared for this device, a third-generation stent-graft
system for the endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).
The development of these devices branched directly from the success of
the coronary and peripheral stents developed in the 80's and 90's by
Palmaz, Gianturco and many others. (source: Cook Inc.)
April 8, 2003 Rolling
Stones’ troupe member suffers a heart attack
A member of the Stones tour was diagnosed as having a heart attack. He
was rushed to Bombay Hospital in India and life-saving angioplasty was
performed. (source: Express India News Service)
April 4, 2003 J&J
To Launch Trial Comparing Its Stent To Boston Scientific's
"Stent Wars" continues head-to-head: Johnson & Johnson said this
week it plans to fund a 1,000-patient trial to demonstrate what it says is the
superiority of its Cypher drug-eluting stent over rival Boston Scientific Corp.'s
Taxus drug-eluting stent. Boston Scientific spokesman Paul Donovan said his company
welcomes J&J's new trial. "We welcome any legitimate comparison of our
drug-eluting stent technology to J&J's. We have a better stent, a better
drug and dose combination, a better polymer and a better delivery system." (source: Daniel Rosenberg, Dow Jones Business News)
March 31, 2003 Boston
Scientific Files Suit Against J&J
Boston Scientific said it filed a lawsuit earlier this month in U.S.
District Court in Delaware charging that J&J's Cypher drug-coated
stent infringes a Boston Scientific patent. (source: Wall Street Journal)
March 31, 2003 One-Year
SIRIUS Trial Analysis Confirms Cost-Effectiveness of CYPHER™ Sirolimus-eluting
Coronary Stent
In an independent economic analysis presented at the American College
of Cardiology 52nd Scientific Session by Dr. David J. Cohen of the Harvard
Clinical Research Institute, the use of the CYPHER drug-eluting stent
was shown to actually save healthcare dollars, even though the stent
itself is significantly more expensive than a standard bare-metal stent.
The savings were the result of the reduction in repeat interventions. (source: Cordis Corporation)
March 30, 2003 Boston
Scientific Announces 12-Month Follow-Up Data From TAXUS
II Clinical Trial; Low six-month MACE and TLR rates maintained
at one year
Principal investigator Professor Antonio Colombo, M.D., EMO Centro Cuoro
Columbus, Milan presented data confirming that the beneficial results
seen at six months were maintained at one year, even in the diabetic
population. He stated, "The 12-month data is extremely impressive
and provides additional, consistent evidence of the safety and efficacy
of paclitaxel-eluting stent technology." (source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
March 19, 2003 Boston
Scientific bets on new stents; CFO says devices could generate
$2 bln in 2004
Speaking at the SG Cowen health-care investment conference in Boston,
Lawrence Best affirmed that his company hopes to win Food and Drug Administration
clearance for their drug-eluting stents -- tiny mesh devices that cardiologists
use to prop open clogged arteries -- late this year. Drug-coated stents
represent a "revolutionary" way of treating heart disease and
could be the "largest opportunity in medical devices ever seen," Best
said. (source: Ted Griffith, CBS.MarketWatch.com)
March 18, 2003 Boston
Scientific Announces Start of TAXUS V Clinical Trial
In this press release, the company announces submission of second module
of PMA application for its TAXUS™ paclitaxel-eluting coronary stent
system. (source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
March 11, 2003 Boston
Scientific and Osiris Therapeutics Announce Stem Cell Alliance
This company press release announces a strategic alliance to deveop catheter-based
application of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) technology to help patients
who have suffered a heart attack. (source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
February 26, 2003 Bill
Aims to Speed Medicare Device Coverage
U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled legislation designed to reduce the
time it takes for Medicare to cover new medical devices. According to
a June 2002 report on the agency's Web site, the average time for making
a national coverage decision for a new technology was between 65 and
96 days in fiscal year 2001. Some complicated cases took longer. It took
another 156 days on average after a coverage decision was made to implement
the policy, the report said. Medicare won praise for announcing in July
2002 it would cover drug-coated stents, a breakthrough for treating clogged
arteries, after they hit the market. The first is expected to be approved
for sale in the coming weeks. (source: Lisa Richwine, Reuters)
February 25, 2003 Boston
Scientific Announces Submission of First Module of PMA
Application For Its TAXUS™ Paclitaxel-Eluting Coronary
Stent System
This company press release announces the beginning of the FDA approval
process for Boston Scientific's drug-eluting stent system. The company
plans to complete its PMA application in June with a module which will
include data from its TAXUS IV clinical trial, the large pivotal trial
supporting U.S. commercialization. Results of the TAXUS IV clinical trial
will be announced in September at the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics
symposium in Washington. (source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
February 18, 2003 Boston
Scientific Announces European Launch of its TAXUS™ Paclitaxel-Eluting
Stent System
In a company press release Jim Tobin, President and Chief Executive Officer,
states: "Several years worth of consistent results across a number
of clinical trials have demonstrated that polymer-based delivery of paclitaxel
is a safe and effective therapy for a broad spectrum of patients, including
those with complex lesions. We are greatly encouraged by data that have
reported very low restenosis rates and significant improvements for diabetic
patients, and we are particularly encouraged by a lack of edge effect. (source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
January 23, 2003 St.
Jude Medical Announces FDA Approval of New Labeling For
6F Angio-Seal STS Platform
The company's press release states: " The IDE study conducted by
St. Jude Medical demonstrated how the 6F Angio-Seal™ STS device
can significantly reduce the time to patient ambulation following diagnostic
angiography procedures, showing 35 percent of patients ambulating in
less than five minutes and the majority ambulating within 10 minutes." (source: St. Jude Medical, Inc.)
January 21, 2003 Boston
Scientific Announces CE Mark For its TAXUS™ Paclitaxel-Eluting
Stent System
"This is an historic day for our company and for the treatment of coronary
artery disease," said Jim Tobin, President and Chief Executive Officer.
In the words of Dr. Antonio Colombo of Milan,"CE Mark for the TAXUS stent
will now enable large numbers of patients to benefit from the great promise of
paclitaxel-eluting stents. This is an exciting development that marks the beginning
of a new era in the treatment of coronary artery disease." (source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
January 20, 2003 Women
Seen Undertreated for Heart Disease
The study, in Tuesday's Annals of Internal Medicine (read
the abstract) involved 2,763 postmenopausal women with heart
disease. All had suffered heart attacks or chest pain caused by blocked
arteries, or had undergone bypass surgery or angioplasty. Researchers
found that beta blockers, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and even aspirin
were underused by this patient population. (source: Michael Rubinkam, Associated Press Writer)
January 19, 2003 Gains
on Heart Disease Leave More Survivors, and Questions
A front page article on this Sunday's New York Times about the revolution
in the treatments for heart disease that have occurred over the past
three decades. (source: Gina Kolata, New York Times -- free abstract;
full article available for purchase)
January 16, 2003 Boston
Scientific Completes Enrollment of TAXUS VI Clinical Trial
The company announces the latest in a series of trials (which are summarized
in the article) for its drug-eluting stent system. TAXUS VI is an international
trial studying 448 patients with complex coronary artery disease at 44
sites. It is designed to establish the safety and efficacy of the moderate-release
formulation in the treatment of longer lesions (greater than or equal
to 18 mm in length). (source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
January 14, 2003 Boston
Scientific Announces Suit By Johnson & Johnson
A new engagement in the "Stent Wars" -- Cordis Corporation,
a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has filed a suit alleging that
Boston Scientific stents, including the Express2™ stent, willfully
infringe a patent owned by Cordis. (source: Boston Scientific Corporation)
January 7, 2003 Medtronic
Announces Start of ENDEAVOR Drug-Eluting Stent Trial
The ENDEAVOR feasibility study will evaluate the safety and efficacy
of Medtronic's drug-eluting stent for the treatment of single de novo
lesions in native coronary arteries with a diameter of 3.0 mm to 3.5
mm. The new stent uses a drug, ABT-578 -- designed to inhibit smooth
muscle cell proliferation, and a phosphorylcholine coating technology
-- both licensed from Abbott. (source: Medtronic, Inc.)
January 3, 2003 Stem
Cells Offer Hope to Heart Attack Victims
Professor Gustav Steinhoff and colleagues from the University of Rostock,
Germany, injected stem cells into six patients' hearts and found five
had strikingly improved blood flow, suggesting the cells may have generated
growth in damaged areas. The study was the subject of a research
letter in this week's issue of The Lancet (Lancet requires
free registration to read abstract summaries). (source: Reuters / The Lancet)
January 3, 2003 Johnson & Johnson's
New Stent May Dominate Angioplasties
Major story on coated stents in the New York Times (NYT registration
required -- it's free) which needs to be slightly modified by the yesterday's
developments concerning Guidant. This follows a recent front-page story
about Johnson & Johnson in the Wall Street Journal (sorry -- available
to WSJ subscribers only). Currently, in the United States, coated stents
from two companies (Johnson & Johnson and Boston Scientific) are
in line for FDA approval. Read more about these new devices in our special
section on "Drug-Eluting
Stents". (source: Reed Abelson, New York Times -- free abstract;
full article available for purchase)
January 3, 2003 Guidant
Back to Square One in Stents
Guidant announced late Thursday that its key Deliver coated stent study
wouldn't meet its primary goals and as a result, the company's deal to
acquire Cook Group Inc. has fallen apart. The data from Deliver effectively
end Guidant's coated stent program with the paclitaxel drug. The company
is also working on a stent coated with everolimus, but that product won't
be available until 2005 at the earliest. Also read Guidant's
press release. (source: Susan Nadeau, Reuters / Guidant Corporation)
