AP reports that a Dec. 27 Medicare proposal may could double the number of hospitals authorized to implant the HeartMate mechanical heart device made by Thoratec, the only company with a U.S.-approved device to treat heart failure patients who are not eligible for heart transplant because they have a life expectancy under two years.

Non-white, low-income patients without commercial insurance are more likely to delay diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease (PVD), which often results in amputation of the lower limb(s) according to a study published in the January 2007 issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery. In addition to the immense psychological tool of limb loss, financial impact of the care of the amputees is estimated to be more than $4 billion annually.

HMS Technologies, Inc. (HMS), the exclusive federal distributor for the commercial versions of the EZ-IO Emergency Vascular Access products by Vidacare Corp., has received a medical device GSA Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) for the EZ-IO product system. The EZ-IO product system provides an immediate, safe and secure method of accessing the circulation through the intraosseous (IO) route, a, AHA-recommended technique that is being used by an increasing number of emergency care personnel for resuscitation and stabilization.

Dual-chamber pacing coupled with Boston Scientific's AV Search Hysteresis (AVSH) programming has the potential to reduce heart failure hospitalization and all cause mortality for patients at risk for sudden cardiac death according to results of the INTRINSIC RV trial, which were published this week in the January issue of the journal Circulation.

Heartwire cites results of a new study finding that current heart-failure performance measures, with the exception of the prescription of an ACE inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) at discharge, have little relationship to patient mortality or combined mortality/rehospitalization in the first 60 to 90 days after discharge.

And though not one of the measures of performance, the prescription of beta blockers at discharge was associated with the most significant improvement in heart-failure outcomes.

A review by physicians at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine shows that Vitamin B12 supplements are not effective in preventing strokes, heart attacks or death in people with a history of vascular disease. A New York Times article reports that Vitamin B12 reduces the blood levels of homocysteine, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but the reduction apparently has no effect on survival.

A new intravascular MRI catheter developed by Topspin Medical has received CE Mark approval, and the Israeli company expects to obtain FDA approval within the first half of 2007.

The device is designed for examining fatty build-up in coronary arteries, providing a detailed image of internal tissues. The IVMRI is a second-generation product that further miniaturized imaging systems and combines a greater number of sensors for imaging a larger area.

Swiss researchers may have discovered the reason drug-eluting stents cause thrombosis, and their study results are published today, Jan. 2, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The study suggests that the drugs with which stents are coated may stunt the heart’s natural ability to form new collateral blood vessels that can salvage heart muscle by rerouting the blood supply.

Implant Sciences Corp. a wholly-owned German subsidiary of CorNova, Inc., has received CE Mark marketing approval for its Valecor Coronary Stent System.

The cobalt-chromium stent is designed maximize flexibility and conformity while providing uniform expansion and coverage. Utilizing some of the thinnest struts of any commercialized coronary stent, the Valecor stent minimizes strut thickness, which is believed to play a significant role in reducing restenosis.

Reuters reports that a study of military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder showed that more severe their anxiety, the greater their risk of heart disease. Adding to the long-recognized connection between stress and heart disease, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston said that relationship existed among nearly 2,000 Boston-area veterans.

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