January 22, 2008 � The FDA approved enrollment expansion for a study, the Tailored Treatment of Permanent Atrial Fibrillation (TTOP AF), on the safety and efficacy of tailored ablation therapy against traditional pharmaceutical regimens, which will support a pre-market approval (PMA) application to the FDA.

January 22, 2008 - The International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners (IBHRE) issued the first standardized cardiac pacing exam for Japanese allied professionals, which marks the first time the IBHRE exam, designed to test professional competency in cardiac pacing, defibrillation and electrophysiology, will be tailored to the needs of a global health care system outside of the U.S.

January 22, 2008 - The FDA cleared St. Jude Medical's EnSite Fusion Registration Module, software designed to help physicians create detailed heart models to facilitate the diagnosis and delivery of therapy for complex abnormal atrial heart rhythms, including Atrial Fibrillation (AF), for use with minimally invasive electrophysiology procedures.

January 22, 2008 - A new stent with a nanothin surface application known as Polyzene-F shows promise in opening and healing blocked heart arteries reportedly without the potential risks of thrombosis posed by drug-eluting stents, according to a study being presented at the 20th annual International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy (ISET).

January 22, 2008 � Blocked abdomen and leg arteries, known as peripheral arterial disease (PAD), is more costly to treat than coronary heart diseases (CAD), according to research being presented at the 20th annual International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy (ISET).

Both CAD and PAD are atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases involving blocked arteries, and are treated with the same methods, including medication, minimally invasive (endovascular) techniques � such as balloon angioplasty and stenting � or surgery, depending on the location and severity of the disease.