Patients do not have to be the only beneficiaries of technological innovation. Indeed, many technological hardware and software solutions are emerging to help cardiac care providers negotiate their way through a healthcare environment that’s increasingly competitive, cost-conscious and challenging. 

In a comparison of two blood-thinning medications, heparin was associated with significantly fewer major cardiovascular events at 28 days than bivalirudin in patients receiving primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after a heart attack, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 63rd Annual Scientific Session.

April 7, 2014 — A first-ever randomized head-to-head comparison of two devices commonly used to treat aortic stenosis finds balloon-expandable transcatheter valves (such as the Edwards Sapien) result in more successful procedures and relieve symptoms more frequently than self-expanding valves (e.g., Medtronic CoreValve), according to research presented at ACC.14.

A major disappointment earlier this year was the announcement by Medtronic that its renal denervation system failed to meet its primary endpoint for efficacy in the U.S. SYMPLICITY HTN-3 trial. This trial data was presented to a packed, standing-room only crowd of several thousand cardiologists at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 63rd annual scientific session in March. These attendees also sought more information and a glimmer of hope for the technology at the presentation of data from the Global SYMPLICITY registry and numerous sessions on renal denervation technology.