University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (CWRU) researchers have uncovered a genetic factor that controls arrhythmias, the primary cause of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the United States. The study will be published in the upcoming March edition of Nature entitled, “Circadian rhythms govern cardiac repolarization and arrhythmogenesis.”

February 28, 2012 — Cambridge Consultants will demonstrate new Bluetooth low energy (BLE) iPhone 4S applications using CSR’s BLE devices at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.


Jarvik Heart Inc. announced conditional U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its pivotal trial for evaluation of the Jarvik 2000 heart for destination therapy (DT). Use of the device for DT means that it will provide long-term, permanent support to end-stage congestive heart failure patients who are not candidates for heart transplant.

Boston Scientific Corp. announces the first implants of a Teligen implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) in China. The implants were performed by Farong Shen, M.D., in Zhejiang Hospital, Hangzhou and Wei Hua, M.D., in Fuwai Hospital, Beijing. The Teligen family of ICDs, designed to treat sudden cardiac death, are the smallest and thinnest high-energy devices available in China.

Avinger Inc. announced the enrollment of the first European patient in the CONNECT II global clinical trial. The first patient was enrolled by Dr. Bernhard Reimers at Ospedale di Mirano in Mirano, Italy.

Subject to its devices receiving necessary U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals, Boston Scientific Corp. will have the capability to transmit implantable cardiac device data to physicians and other healthcare providers in North America across the AT&T wireless network in the future, AT&T announced.


The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the next steps for providers who are using electronic health record (EHR) technology and receiving incentive payments from Medicare and Medicaid.  These proposed rules, from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), will govern Stage 2 of the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs.

February 24, 2012 — Hospital readmissions continue to be a challenge nationwide. It has been estimated that chronic diseases such as asthma, congestive heart failure (CHF) and diabetes account for over 80 percent of hospital inpatient stays. CHF alone is the leading cause of hospital admissions for Americans over the age of 65.

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