October 18, 2011 — Boston Scientific Corp. has begun a phased launch of its Promus Element everolimus-eluting platinum chromium coronary stent system in China. The launch campaign will be expanded within the country based upon receipt of subsequent provincial reimbursement approvals.

October 18, 2011 – New research published in the October issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine shows hospitals accredited by The Joint Commission (JC) outperformed non-accredited hospitals on a number of nationally standardized quality measures. The measures included acute myocardial infarction (AMI), heart failure, and pneumonia. The research also shows the performance gap between JC accredited and non-accredited hospitals increased over the years of the study.

October 18, 2011 — At more than 40 percent, the mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in China is amongst the highest in the world. Its population faces a catalog of CVD risk factor statistics that expose high levels of obesity, diabetes, cholesterol and blood pressure; the male population also displays a smoking habit that is proving difficult to address. To help reverse these trends, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) delivered an educational program at the 22nd Great Wall International Congress of Cardiology.