The FDA is alerting clinicians to a recall of Boston Scientific's Accolade pacemakers, which have an increased risk of permanently entering "safety mode," possibly requiring early device replacement.
The agency also cleared the BPM Pro 2 blood pressure (BP) monitor, designed for more precise, clinically meaningful BP and pulse rate measurements, manufacturer Withings Health Solutions said.
In addition, the FDA denied full approval for andexanet alfa (Andexxa) a month after an advisory committee highlighted uncertainties about which dose and in which patients it could best be used. (Endpoints News)
NFL player Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills expressed excitement over the likely passage of the Hearts Act, which would ensure lifesaving care in schools. (WTAE)
A BMJ investigation resurfaced old doubts about the PLATO trial of ticagrelor (Brilinta), while raising new questions about the possibility of unblinding in the study.
Researchers identified a way to deliver mRNA therapy to reduce maternal BP in a mouse model of pre-eclampsia. (Nature)
Visit-to-visit BP variability did not bode well for cognition in older adults in a prospective observational cohort study. (Neurology)
It is possible to have major fluctuations in lipoprotein(a) levels over time, according to serial measurements from patients in the OCEAN(a)-DOSE trial. (Journal of the American College of Cardiology)
The innate immune system seems to play a role in the progression of atherosclerosis, and may be helped by a good diet, results from the CORDIOPREV study showed. (European Heart Journal)
A quality improvement intervention in patients with ischemic stroke successfully reduced time from door to groin puncture for endovascular thrombectomy, a cluster randomized trial found. (JAMA Neurology)
A judge ruled that lawyers for former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin can get tests done on preserved samples of George Floyd's heart after a pathologist hypothesized that high catecholamines or Takotsubo myocarditis may have caused Floyd's death. (CBS News)
Tricuspid valve surgery was associated with improved survival for low- and intermediate-risk patients with moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation, according to an observational analysis. (Heart)
The American College of Cardiology highlighted observational research suggesting that childhood cigarette smoking was associated with an increased risk of premature cardiac injury.
Results of a secondary analysis of the randomized REPRIEVE trial showed a potential mechanism for how statins benefit people with HIV through stabilization of atherosclerotic plaques. (JAMA Cardiology)
Air pollution was linked to an increased risk of venous thromboembolism in the prospective Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis cohort. (Blood)
An estimated 15 million adults in the U.S. have a 10-year risk for heart failure above 10%, according to a cross-sectional study using PREVENT equations. (Annals of Internal Medicine)
Short-term concomitant use of the muscle relaxant dantrolene may be protective against doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy, in vivo and in vitro experiments suggested. (JACC: CardioOncology)
Sensome announced results from two studies showing that their Clotild clot-sensing guidewire can identify clots rich in red blood cells to support decision making in the treatment of peripheral artery disease.
An individual-level meta-analysis supported a benefit with endovascular therapy in vertebrobasilar artery occlusion. (The Lancet)