St. Jude Medical Inc. announced European CE mark approval of its Amplatzer Amulet Left Atrial Appendage Occluder. The Amulet device is used to close the left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients diagnosed with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). According to research, AF leads to an increased risk for stroke. Sealing off the LAA helps prevent the risk of blood clot formation and release, potentially reducing the risk of stroke. The next-generation percutaneous transcatheter device leverages the design and clinical success of the original Amplatzer Cardiac Plugwith additional features allowing treatment of a wider range of appendage anatomies. St. Jude Medical will be showcasing the new Amplatzer Amulet device during the 18th annual Boston AF Symposium at booth 319.

In a study designed to see if doctors who are told the exact price of expensive medical tests like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in advance would order fewer of them, Johns Hopkins researchers got their answer: No.

January 25, 2013 — Mobile drug reference app provider Epocrates recently conducted its annual survey of cardiologists to uncover the biggest trends and challenges facing them today. The survey explores their perspectives on a range of issues related to patient care, healthcare technology usage/adoption and practice concerns. Following are some highlights from the survey findings.