Biotronik announced the first patients have been successfully implanted with Itrevia HF-T QP cardiac resynchronization defibrillator (CRT-D) devices. Itrevia HF-T QP includes the Closed Loop Stimulation (CLS) algorithm, capable of appropriately adapting heart rate in response to physiological demands independent of body movements or respiratory rate.

St. Jude Medical and Thoratec announced that the boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which St. Jude Medical will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Thoratec. The agreement sets the price for $63.50 per share in a cash transaction valued at approximately $3.4 billion, net of cash acquired.

A new study proves race and gender-related disparities exist in care for patients who have recently been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF). The study, published in the July edition of HeartRhythm, the official journal of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), includes data from more than 500,000 Medicare beneficiaries. Results notably indicate that female patients compared to male patients are less likely to receive oral anticoagulation, a medication used to lower the likelihood of experiencing a stroke. Women are also less likely than men to receive an ablation, as were Hispanics versus whites.

Building teams that include advanced practice providers can help cardiovascular practices meet the challenges of modern practice, according to a new health policy statement by the American College of Cardiology (ACC). These challenges include workforce shortages, an aging patient population with growing complexities in care and a payment system in transition.